University of Alberta holds annual 5 Days for the Homeless campaign
By Admin User on April 7, 2020
The University of Alberta hosted its 5 Days for the Homeless campaign from March 9 to 13. For the entire week, business students slept outside in an effort to raise awareness and funds for youth at risk in Edmonton.
Originating on U of A’s campus 15 years ago, the campaign has since gone national.
Despite the snow that hit later in the week, participants only had sleeping bags to keep them warm. They also relied on food donations in order to eat.
“We do acknowledge that we’re very privileged in that we do get to go home at the end of this. However, youth at risk and homeless youth do not get that opportunity, so we really want to raise awareness around that,” Julie Perich, VP Public Relations, said.
The participants had an early start of 7 a.m., in the hopes of catching students on the way to class. They set out bright orange buckets around their sleeping bags to collect donations. These buckets would be brought around to classrooms later in the day.
Each participant was diligent in attending their own classes, a requirement of the campaign. They noticed it was harder to focus in class when the night before had been so long.
“Obviously these aren’t as comfy as our beds at home,” said Perich, pointing to the layers of cardboard that substituted for their mattresses.
To increase awareness on campus, the group held several events throughout the week. These included a trivia night, a bake sale and an outdoor live stream of a hockey game.
The group had a fundraising goal of $20,000, with all proceeds going towards Youth Empowerment and Support Services (YESS). While the campaign has since ended on U of A’s campus, it is still accepting donations. To contribute, go to 5days.ca.