Students go homeless for 5 days
p2pnet news | P2P:- With parts of Canada undergoing the worst winter storm conditions for decades, a group of Canadian students is determined to dramatically underscore the sufferings of homeless people by experiencing what they experience.
“For five days, Paul Aulakh will be without a home, money or food,” says CTV British Coumbia,
If he wants to eat, he’ll have to beg.
Aulakh is one of eight students at the University of BC who are spending five long nights outside this week to raise money for charity and raise awareness about Vancouver’s homeless problem, says the story.
On the other side of the country, Jeff Martino, who attends Ontario’s Wilfrid Laurier University, “has been trying to prepare himself for the ordeal by increasing his exposure to the freezing temperatures outside,” says CTV.
“For a couple weeks I’ve been trying to go outside in the poor weather without a jacket, to get myself ready mentally and physically,” the story has him saying.
The campaign, 5 Days for the Homeless, started on Sunday and is slated to run until March14.
Students, “from across the country will be making personal sacrifices to make their community a better place,” says the web site.
Students taking part will:
- Remain on campus from 5:00 pm Sunday March 9th, 2008 until 5:00 pm Friday March 14th, 2008.
- Have no disposable income.
- Have no access to food or drinks. The food they consume can only be received from donations.
- Have a pillow and blanket, which can be exchanged for an emergency meal if necessary.
- Have no access to the showers that their student access card would normally get them into.
- Sleep outside and not in a university building. The only exception is if temperatures are so low that their health is at risk.
- Attend all of their regular classes and complete all of their academic responsibilities, including student organizations and teaching positions.
The campaign was launched in 2005 by students from the Alberta School of Business at the University of Alberta.
After three successful years on the University of Alberta campus, it’s being taken to a national level and has secured 10 schools from both eastern and western universities.
- Schools taking part include:
- Alberta School of Business (University of Alberta)
- Sauder School of Business (University of British Columbia)
- Edwards School of Business (University of Saskatchewan)
- John Molson School of Business (Concordia University)
- Laurier School of Business & Economics (Wilfrid Laurier University)
- DeGroote School of Business (McMaster University)
- University of Guelph
- University of Lethbridge
- Brock University
- University of Northern British Columbia
Donations can be made on the campaign’s web site and will be given to local charities.
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Also See:
CTV British Coumbia – Students begin five days for homeless, March 9, 2008
CTV – Students living without food or shelter for 5 days, March 9, 2008
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March 11th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
“Have no access to food or drinks. The food they consume can only be received from donations.”
Are they allowed to raid the cafeteria trashcans?
March 12th, 2008 at 3:22 am
Good for them. You cannot learn this stuff…you have to experience it!
Having previously been made homeless (with my pregnant wife and young child) by unscrupilous landlords for three months, I can appreciate this story!