Contributed by St. Joseph's College
Students, alumni, faculty and staff at St. Joseph’s College are braving the elements for yet another year by staging an overnight sleep-out to help raise awareness of homelessness. The event will take place on Saturday, October 7, 2011 from 7 p.m. to Sunday at 7 a.m. on the College’s Quad located on its Long Island Campus in Patchogue.
A past tradition of the College, which first began in 1991, the Habitat for Humanity Club revived the event in 2006 by organizing student groups to team up and raise funds, as well as help increase awareness of homelessness and the poverty that exists around us. Proceeds from this year’s event will help fund the Club’s alternative spring break trip to an underprivileged area in an effort to improve their living conditions and daily responsibilities.
According to the Nassau-Suffolk Coalition for the Homeless (NSCH), homelessness is a persistent issue with thousands of homeless persons living on Long Island. The NSCH also reports that the numbers do not include those who were doubled or tripled up with family members, living in substandard conditions or facing eviction.
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