- March 28, 2024
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Father Lopez students slept in boxes to raise money and awareness for the homeless.
BY EMILY BLACKWOOD | STAFF WRITER
Most Ormond Beach teens likely spent this past Friday night huddled under mounds of blankets. However, 61 students braved the 43-degree weather to sleep in boxes in an effort to raise $6,200 and awareness for the homeless.
Father Lopez Catholic High School hosted its sixth-annual Homeless Awareness Lock-Out and Fundraiser to help eradicate poverty. The money raised will be donated to the organization Helping Hands.
For the Tuttle Triplets, Miranda, Jessica and Carlie, all 15, their first time sleeping outside was nerve-racking. But they knew it was for a good cause.
“You get a better understanding of how the homeless feel,” Miranda said. “I think it will be a really good experience.”
With an minimum donation of $25, students were allowed to wear only a shirt, pants and shoes. If a student collected more then the minimum amount of donations, they could use it to “purchase” a sweatshirt, a blanket or a sleeping bag. Those items will be donated to various organizations in the local community.
A few students set up what looked like cardboard box cities. Allen Wang, 19, said he was making the setup for all the international students participating.
“It was made in China” Wang joked.
Nan Zhang, 18, an international student who’s host family lives in Ormond Beach, said he did it for the fun.
“The weather is freezing and it’s hard to get sleep,” Zhang said. “But I will have the same experience as homeless people and feel how they feel.”
Marie Gallo-Lethcoe, director of mission effectiveness at Father Lopez said she organized the event after she saw it done at another church.
"I think it gives them a very tiny tense what it is like to be exposed to the elements," Gallo-Lethcoe said, "and not have any resources so they can perhaps have compassion for people."
The best help for Ormond Beach homeless is prevention
It's easy to think the best way to help homeless people is to give them what they ask for, whether it's food, water or spare change.
Arlene Martin, program supervisor at Halifax Urban Ministries said urges for people to donate money to programs like HUM that know how to prevent these situations.
"One of the main things to do is to support the agency," Martin said. "Donations help a lot. We support (people in need) by paying the bill to keep them in their homes."
Martin said when it's too late for homelessness to be prevented for a person, they help with things like job applications, food and bus passes.
Keith Walker, Ormond Beach Police public information officer said he had be dealing with homeless people for about 25 years. Though usually their issues are minor, they can sometimes be severe and it becomes a safety issue help them when they are panhandling.
"My advice is don't take the chance," Walker said. " You don’t know who it is. Call the police to come check them out."