BEGINNING March 11, six students from Capilano University will find out what it is like to live on the streets for five days in an effort to raise awareness about youth homelessness.
Five Days for the Homeless takes place from March 11 until March 16 at Capilano University.
The six students will spend their days and nights outside in sleeping bags and will have no source of income. Beginning March 11, they will rely on donated food and drinks as a way to survive. The participants will not be allowed to use the school's shower facilities and must attend all of their regular classes.
The event, Five Days for the Homeless, is in its third year at the university. Organizers Desiree Wallace, 18, and Teresa Grant, 20, are approaching this year's event differently.
"We're having a speaker series throughout the week," Grant said. "Every day we will have an event and present specific issues and propose solutions. . . . We are really trying to engage the community and the student body."
Monday will focus on youth homelessness. On Tuesday the focus will be on mental health and addiction issues. Discussions on Wednesday will centre on First Nations. Thursday, nonprofit organizations will be at Capilano University to promote what they do within the community. On Friday, there will be a community forum with politicians such as MLA Jane Thornthwaite, and representatives from B.C. Housing and other organizations.
"We have big goals, and we really want to make it a valuable and meaningful conversation," said Wallace.
"If we present them (students) with these solutions and different organizations that they can get involved with, then I think that will make a difference."
Five Days for the Homeless began in 2005 at the University of Alberta and has raised more than $700,000 for a variety of charities. Since then the event has spread to more than 20 post-secondary institutions, including the University of Saskatchewan, McGill University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Capilano University and the University of British Columbia are the only two schools in the Lower Mainland participating in Five Days for Homeless.
Grant, a co-ordinator for the social justice committee at Capilano University, said everyone who is sleeping outside has a story as to why they are doing it.
Wallace, a first-year global stewardship student at Capilano, said the issue of homelessness is one that needs to be better addressed.
"It's something I hold dear to my heart and I think it's a really big issue that needs to be alleviated."
Since Wallace was seven years old, she has volunteered at a soup kitchen in her hometown of Langley.
"I've seen what great people come in there," Wallace said. "They are human, they are just like any one of us, and their stories and what they have to offer the world are just as valuable as anybody else's."
Wallace wrote a play when she was in high school, Invisible Out Loud, which highlights the issues of homelessness and popular misconceptions around the issue. The play is currently on tour across high schools in the Lower Mainland.
Grant said the issue of homelessness is not just a Vancouver problem, but also a national problem. "I feel like it's something that is just brushed under the rug," she said. "It needs to be addressed."
"Most people know we have a homeless problem in Metro Vancouver," Grant said. "But when you go to the Downtown Eastside it's more visible."
Grant said there is a reason why only six students will be participating this year. "We didn't want to make it a party. "We wanted to make it a visual," she said.
Wallace and Grant hope to exceed their goal to raise $2,500 for the North Shore Youth Safe House. They said they have received sponsorship from Coast Capital Savings. The national fundraising goal for 2012 is $220,500.
"We got a huge response from the community, particularly North Vancouver," Grant said
In addition to different events happening on each of the five days, there will also be a big kickoff event on March 10 at Jay Cee House, 1251 Lillooet Road.
"It's going to be a big celebration," Wallace said. "There will be speakers and three live bands."
For more information about Five Days for the Homeless, visit www.5days.ca.
