Five University of Regina students raised the awareness of homelessness after recently sleeping outside for five nights.
“Homelessness is an issue in our community and more people need to be aware of this. By having five students sleep outside, this shows students that this is very real and it can happen to anyone,” explains Rachel Langen, co-chair of the event.
The University of Regina students participated in a project called “5 Days for the Homeless”, which was a national campaign at 19 universities to also raise money for local charities.
They started their five-day adventure on March 6, and will end the campaign today, March 11.
In Regina the donations were raised for the Charmichael Outreach, an organization that provides various services for the homeless community including housing and meals.
“The work they do is outstanding and important to many people in Regina, which I think is often overlooked by many people, especially students,” said Rachel Langen.
“The project also places emphasis on the need for organizations such as Carmichael Outreach to help these struggling individuals,” says Breanne Dmytriw, co-chair.
The students also attended their University of Regina classes as usual, but at night they were camped out in sleeping bags just outside the main entrance to the Riddell Centre.
While participating in the project, the students had depended on donations for food. It had provided the students with a small, brief taste of what being homeless might be like.
During the week, the students also went without the use of common necessities such as showering, basic grooming and shelter.
One of the students who slept outside was Kashtin Schumacher, a fourth-year business student.
“I think the hardest part is finding a daily routine within this unique situation. From sleeping outside, to being given food to eat, or only having what is on my back for the week takes a lot of adjustments.”
“After speaking with past participants it was an easy decision to apply to take part. Everyone speaks highly of the impact they feel from being able to give back to their community,” added Schumacher.
Also participating in “5 Days for the Homeless” were Maple Baxter from the Faculty of Arts; Madison Biem from the Faculty of Education; Riley Moncrief from the Faculty of Business Administration; and Julie Ready from the Faculty of Education.
“I think that the higher temperatures had worked in our favour. It meant that more people were walking outside and coming up to our sleepers,” said Cari-Lynn Schoettler, president of the Hill Business Students’ Society and the person who oversees the entire operation. “The project gave the students more opportunities to talk about Carmichael Outreach.”
Last year, $200,000 was raised across Canada, including $30,000 at the University of Regina Their goal this year was to raise $35,000 during the week, with several events planned.
“By students actually seeing their friends and peers sleeping and living outside, it helps students put into perspective the pressing issue of homelessness, which often goes overlooked,” said Breanne Dmytriw, co-chair. “This event is meant to show that homelessness is not always a choice but a matter of circumstance, and anyone could end up without a place to call home.”
The Carmichael Outreach Center helps our city by providing services and supplies to those in Regina who need it most. They offer harm reduction services, health education programs and counselling referrals.
This non-profit organization also provides emergency food and baby supplies for up to 400 people each day. 5 Days for the Homeless helps to raise funds for this extremely deserving organization, as well as provide education to students about the severity of homelessness, especially among youth
