Cardboard boxes littered the concrete as people huddled in line, waiting to get their hands on a bowl of chili, a bottle of water or a cup of black coffee.
F. W. Buchholz High School students were getting a taste of what it is like to be homeless.
On Friday, three Buchholz organizations kicked off the beginning of National Homeless Awareness Week by hosting the event One Night Without a Home. The event, which began at 9 p.m. and ran until 7 a.m., was held in a partially covered concrete area known as the mall.
Students spent the night lounging on cardboard boxes without cell phones, electronic devices or other comforts, said Olivia Sanchez, Buchholz senior.
About 90 students showed up and paid $10 to $20 to participate. The event raised about $3,000 for local organizations, said Ana Journey, student activities director.
“I think it really made the impact that there really are less fortunate people,” she said. “It’s about the experience, about realizing you’re on the floor and not in a bed.”
Paula Costas, a 15-year-old Buchholz sophomore, said the number of people at the event surprised her.
“This shows how involved our school really is and that we’re not just leaving it to other people,” she said.
Gen Arandin, a 17-year-old senior, said the event was about more than donations.
“It’s about instilling this value that you want to help people out,” she said. “We know what it feels like, to an extent, to know that it isn’t a great situation to be homeless.”
Guest speakers from Called To Action, Basic Life Support Inc., Interfaith Hospitality Network and Alachua County Coalition for the Homeless and Hungry spoke.
Jamie Betz, the vice president of Called to Action, served the students chili and coffee similar to how his organization serves the homeless.
He said he was impressed nearly 100 students attended, but he challenged them to keep being mindful of homelessness.
“You made the commitment tonight,” he said. “Is it something you can do for the rest of your life?”
A version of this story ran on page 3 on 11/18/2013 under the headline "High schoolers spend night without a home for awareness"
High school senior Alex Martin gets ready to fall asleep in a makeshift shelter she made out of cardboard at F. W. Buchholz High School on Saturday evening. Students spent the night sleeping outside on the cafeteria patio floor as part of a homelessness awareness event.
