For one night at St. Edward’s University, the campus homeless population skyrocketed.

Student Service Council held their second annual sleep-out on April 23 to raise awareness and collect donations for the homeless community in Austin.

The event was originally supposed to be held outdoors on the soccer fields to help participants gain a better understanding of the hardships the homeless face each night. However, thunderstorms forced the group to move indoors to the Alumni Gym.

“It went really well, despite the weather,” said Service Chair Goldie da Costa, who helped coordinate the sleep-out. “Even though we were inside, the smaller environment really helped to foster a sense of community among the students. It actually went a lot more smoothly than last year once we knew what to expect.”

Approximately 40 students attended and were sectioned off into “families,” with whom they built their own shelters for the night using only cardboard boxes and duct tape.

“The ‘families’ were really into building the shelters,” da Costa said. “We expected to have to get everyone off their cell phones and get them to participate, but it wasn’t a problem. They really wanted to experience what it would be like to be homeless.”

The sleep-out hosted two community speakers who told the group about their efforts to help feed and clothe Austin’s homeless and how students can help.

Alan Graham, vice president and CEO of Mobile Loaves and Fishes, an organization dedicated to helping 13 communities across the United States, spoke about his goals to help fund a gated community for the homeless, providing them with a safe place to stay. He also spoke about micro-loans for those in need in order to purchase land on which to live.

Lola Stephens from Austin’s Nubian Queen Lola’s Cajun Restaurant also spoke. As an individual who experienced poverty firsthand, Stephens talked about her efforts to give back to her community and urged students to give what they could or make at least a small effort to help the homeless.

Last year, students made blankets that were later donated to a shelter. This year, participants were asked to bring at least three items from a selected list, including medical supplies, food and clothing. With the donated items, students made over 150 kits to hand out to the homeless on the street. Many of the kits will also go to Stephens’ restaurant, which is open to the homeless on Sundays.

Christine Lucht, who participated in the sleep-out, was a family leader who can now empathize with the conditions of the homeless in the United States.

“It really helped me to understand the homeless a bit better,” Lucht said. “They’re people, not just objects on the side of the road. We now have an initiative to help rather than just look past them.”

 

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