Outside of the Illini Union on Friday, students at the One Winter Night event spent the night in makeshift shelters to raise awareness about the conditions faced by homeless people on frigid winter nights.
To create the simulation, the Office of Civic Life partnered with C-U at Home — an organization that collects meals, items and donations for the homeless population in Champaign-Urbana.
Gina Lee-Olukoya, director of the Civic Life, said the event and the University’s partnership with C-U at Home are meant to foster empathy for people without homes.
“We’re hoping to raise awareness about what homelessness is and looks like here in C-U,” Lee-Olukoya said. “This event is meant to give a voice and face to our unhoused community members.”
Teams of student volunteers stayed on the Main Quad in tents and shelters made out of cardboard from 6 p.m. to midnight the next day.
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Madison Hansen, sophomore in ACES, said she attended the event to emphasize that everyone, no matter their background, deserves a right to shelter and housing.
“I think it’s important to give back to people who aren’t as well-off as others,” Hansen said. “We have the privilege of going back home after we finish up here, but there are some people that have to live like this every night.”
Keemi Patel, sophomore in Business, said that she was at the OWN simulation in solidarity with the homeless population on campus.
“Especially on Green Street, you see a lot of homeless people and sometimes you just walk past them,” Patel said. “We don’t even know what their stories are, so being out here tonight makes you realize how hard it is.”
According to C-U at Home’s fundraising website, as of Friday, this year’s OWN campaign hosted 127 people and 23 teams and raised a total of over $49,000.
