The 2nd Annual Sleep Out for the Homeless at the Coe College campus on Saturday November 17th drew over 100 people. Participants braved temperatures in the low 30’s to spend a night outside in cardboard boxes to raise money and awareness for the plight of homelessness. Over $13,000 was raised for the benefit of Linn County emergency programs and shelters. In addition a Blanket Drive was kicked off with 33 blankets donated.
The Sleep Out, sponsored by Linn County Veteran Affairs and the Community Circle of Care, Inc. served as the capstone event for Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week, as proclaimed by Governor Culver statewide and the Linn County Board of Supervisors locally. All proceeds were distributed equally to the Willis Dady Shelter, Waypoint’s Madge Phillips and Domestic Violence Shelters, the Foundation II Youth Shelter, Cedar House Shelter, the Catholic Worker House, Mission of Hope Shelter, and the Salvation Army Emergency Lodging Program.
Other sponsors and contributors included: Linn County, the Iowa Finance Authority, and the Junior League. Boxes were donated by the Eagles Club, Best Buy, and Lowes. Soup was donated by Heinz and served by the Salvation Army’s Mobile Canteen. Coffee, tea, and hot chocolate were provided by Brewed Awakenings and the Coffee Emporium. Soup containers were donated by Wendy’s, and the HACAP Food Reservoir provided crackers. Carpet scraps to insulate the boxes were donated by Carpet King. Music was provided courtesy of Z102.9.
Those sleeping out included students from Washington and Xavier high schools, St Mathews Youth Group, staffers for various presidential candidates, and Boy Scouts from Troop 766 and Crew 2,000 to name but a few.
Points of interest in the Linn County Proclamation of Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week include:
• The most recent counts show that in the past year more than 19,000 Iowans have experienced homelessness and more than half are families with children.
• Over 200 local organizations and government agencies compassionately respond to the needs of those experiencing hunger and homelessness with food, clothing, shelter, services, and permanent housing.
• In FY07 local homeless programs served 4,174 individuals, nearly half of whom were children.
• On any given night, nearly 400 homeless persons are being served in local emergency shelters and transitional housing facilities. Another 300 persons seeking services are turned away or placed on waiting lists.
• Iowa joins more than 500 communities and college campuses across the United States in observing the week of November 11-17, 2007 as “Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week”.