Mackenzie Porch, the Vice President of Service in Alpha Phi Omega worked together with Residential Hall Assistance, Student Development and Stockton HEAAT Club to host the first annual Sleep Out at Stockton University, an event for students to experience a night of homelessness, where they raised over $1,000 for the Covenant House in Atlantic City for homeless youth.
The night was filled with fun games, food and a documentary with a reflection at the end. It was a night for students to sleep outside so others do not have to. 75 people came together to raise awareness for cause that is so important to each and every one of us.
The tribe wars included teams of different colors. Each team competed in different events such as, which team could find the most cardboard boxes, relay races, an egg toss, the human knot and a musical chairs game that all revolved around some related topic of homelessness. Each event was separated with breaks for food. People gathered around at tables and talked or played cards. As it got later, some people pitched tents or slept outside in sleeping bags. A few of us stayed up all night and a few other students made a fort with boxes.
Through the night, I learned how important it was to fight for youth homelessness. I learned how powerful a community could be when we all fight for something together. At the Sleep Out, I pledged to sleep outside so others didn’t have to.