Sleeping outside is an undesirable reality of life for the homeless, and on Saturday night, members of the Ohio State community will experience it firsthand.
Habitat for Humanity is sponsoring Sleep Out 2004, starting Saturday at 9 p.m. and ending Sunday at 9 a.m. Participants will sleep outside for the night around the house Habitat for Humanity constructed on the Ohio Union West Lawn.
“We’re trying to raise awareness of the homeless problem in Columbus to the student population,” said Carolyn Ujcic, vice president and spokeswoman for Habitat for Humanity at OSU. “A lot of students don’t realize there are issues in Columbus outside the university community.”
Habitat for Humanity will offer participants several activities to raise awareness about the hardships the homeless face and how to help the homeless in Columbus, said Taryn Anderson, membership development chair of Habitat for Humanity at OSU.
“There will be a scavenger hunt to let people know how hard it is to find food. Also, we are going to have cardboard boxes for a $5 donation, if people want to sleep in them,” Anderson said. “We’re also going to make food – probably peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches – to donate to shelters.”
In addition to the participants in the event, Ujcic said the family for whom Habitat for Humanity is building the house will be there.
“The family that will live in the house is very excited about interacting with the students,” Ujcic said.
Veena Tripathi, a senior in psychology, said she will be at the sleep-out on Saturday night. Seeing Habitat for Humanity building the house sparked her interest in the sleep-out, Tripathi said.
“I was interested after seeing the house being built at the union,” Tripathi said. “I don’t usually participate in Habitat for Humanity’s events, but this interested me.”
Tripathi hopes she, as well as other students, will have a better appreciation for what they have after attending the event.
“I come from a pretty lucky background, and I have never had to think about these things,” Tripathi said. “I want to see what being homeless for a night is like.”
Ujcic said the idea came from similar events elsewhere.
“This has been done by other student groups, such as other Habitat (for Humanity) groups at other campuses.”
Sleep Out 2004 is free and open to everyone.
“If people just walk up Saturday night, they can participate,” Anderson said.
