In November, approximately 100 participants, including students from Goodwin College’s MOVE (Men of Vision in Education) and WISE (Women Invested in Securing an Education) programs, participated in a homelessness awareness event at Saint Joseph University. The third annual Journey Home Cardboard Sleep Out provided college students the opportunity to understand the different types of homelessness.

Journey Home, a local non-profit organization focused on ending chronic homelessness in the Greater Hartford region, organized the annual event. Students took part in a number of activities throughout the night including the screening of a documentary on homelessness in Hartford, a panel discussion with formerly homeless speakers, a “Privilege Walk,” and a “Bridges Out of Poverty” activity.

“I thought it was a really great experience to see what it was like to live in the life of a homeless person. I really enjoyed hearing the speakers talk about how they overcame adversity of being homeless.” Chastity Holmes, WISE

“The Cardboard Sleep Out really changed my view on homelessness. Originally, I thought of people who are homeless as people who have drug addictions, never people who were affected by the economy. I was moved by the speaker who talked about how his mental health affected his whole life.” Nathan Panico, MOVE

“I thought the Cardboard Sleep Out was an opportunity for Goodwin College students to be informed and experience homelessness in their surrounding communities and on a national scale. During this experience I was able to gain knowledge of homelessness. I heard from people who experienced it first-hand. They told me the difficulties they faced and how they made it out of those situations. It made me realize that anyone can face homelessness and that more needs to be done to help people avoid homelessness.” Elijah Tillman, MOVE