Bringing awareness to homelessness. That's what a group of Penn State students is doing Tuesday.
Penn State lives here and so does homelessness.
For 16 hours on a blustery cold November day, nearly 2 dozen students at Penn State Schuylkill are bringing awareness to homelessness.
"We're freezing. We're asking for donations. I can't imagine what these people go through everyday," said Gabrielle Samaniego.
With donated cardboard boxes-decorated with harsh statistics about homelessness, bundled up students from the Community Service Club are living a day in the life of a homeless person.
Tina Rose is the group's advisor.
"A lot of students don't realize they're privileged. We're priveledged to go to a home, to have a bed, to get a meal. I wanted them to learn a lot of people don;t know where they're next meal is coming from or where they are going to sleep that night," said Rose.
In addition to braving the elements, students aren't allowed to fetch their own meals or use technology. They can only eat or drink what is donated.
"I had to go to class. I had a test and I was hungry. I found a house mate and she bought me a breakfast sandwich. I was so grateful," said one student.
This initiative comes on the heels of a new study released this week by the National Center on Family Homelessness that states 1 in every 30 children in the U.S. experienced homelessness in 2013.
The study blames: A shortage of affordable housing, the impacts of domestic violence and the lingering effect of a jobless economic recovery.
"I think we need to be aware you tend to ignore what the situation is and we need to try to educate ourselves and try to make a difference," said Rose.
All of the money collected here will be donated to the local organization Servants To All and will go towards building a homeless shelter for the Pottsville area.
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