Cardboard campout highlights homeless awareness week

Not every person in America has a residential restaurant or a residence hall for their convenience.

Students can experience that first-hand during Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, which starts today and runs through Saturday.

“If there’s one thing students get out of this, I hope it’ll bring awareness to the issue,” said event coordinator and MCC Americorps VISTA Dana Gingrich. “Poverty isn’t a restricted area. We have homeless in Mount Pleasant and this week gives students an opportunity to help.”

Special Events Student Coordinator and Macomb senior Scott Hillman said various activities will give students a chance to learn facts about homelessness and to experience it for themselves.

During cardboard city Wednesday, students can create homes out of boxes and spend 24 hours between classes and meetings camping at Central Park, near Charles V. Park Library.

“All day Wednesday from midnight to midnight, there will be students camping out there,” Hillman said. “It’s meant to bring awareness that there are a bunch of homeless people and this is their way of living.”

He said students can sign up on the Volunteer Center Web site to camp out.

Other events

New to the week–long program is a three-part series of videos that showcase homelessness and hunger in Mount Pleasant and the resources that students can use to help and volunteer. The videos can be found on youtube.com or at cmich.edu/itunesu.

Hillman said Friday will consist of service projects students can sign up for on the Volunteer Center Web site.

Some of the projects include volunteering at the Isabella Community Soup Kitchen, 621 S. Adams St., and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 201 E. Pickard St.

“Students get hands-on service learning,” Hillman said.

Homelessness and Hunger Awareness Week concludes Saturday with Issue Day.

Issue day is a one-day advocacy conference working in part with the week’s events. The conference will include a keynote speaker and breakout sessions.

“Each session has different issues, ranging from animal rights to recycling- global issues,” Hillman said.

There are many collaborations with organizations to help homeless shelters in mid-Michigan and the CMU Volunteer Center will be taking donations all week.

It is the fifth year CMU has participated in the national event, a part of the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness.

-Staff Reporter Sarah Zalewski contributed to this report.