Students reflect on overnight experience highlighting homelessness

Students from Kitchener high schools spent a night sleeping outdoors. CTV’s Ashley Bacon finds out what they learned about the realities of homelessness.

Over 150 students from five Catholic high schools in Kitchener spent Thursday night outside in tents to get a better understanding of the struggles people experiencing homelessness face.

As the sun rose Friday morning, students emerged from their tents at St Mary’s High School.

“We got a little taste tonight, it was pretty cold,” said Christian Alnaza, a student who participated.

Ann Joseph also said it was an eye-opening experience for her. “I can’t imagine how it’d be for homeless people who don’t have the stuff that we have, especially if it was snowing or raining.”

This was the Waterloo Catholic school board’s third annual ‘Night in the Cold’ event, organized by Nancy Arruda.

“The whole point of creating something that is experiential is that they go beyond the textbook learning, the reading off of a website or watching a video on something,” explained Arruda. “They actually have a taste of discomfort.”

For some of the student participants, the reality of what the unsheltered community faces became clear.

“We had sleeping bags, we had blankets, we had warmers and most of actual unhoused people don’t have these necessities,” said Zara Chrisaluta.

“If I were come out here bare, only with the coat on my back and then no where to sleep, no sleeping bag, just on the floor, it’s really bad.”

Lavonne Orumwense said the experience put the human aspect of homelessness into perspective for her.

“People who are unhoused, they are someone’s parent, that’s someone’s child, someone’s sibling. You really don’t know everyone’s situation.”

“You really feel a sense of empathy for everybody who’s experiencing homelessness, who doesn’t have a place to go or people to support them,” added Leah Glowik, who also spent the night outdoors.

In addition to the gained lived-experience, the event also kicked off the school board’s ‘Home for Hope’ fundraiser that will continue throughout the holiday season.

All money raised will support three local organizations: A better Tent City and oneROOF youth services in Kitchener, as well as The Bridges shelter in Cambridge.

Although it may have been a restless night for the participants, no exceptions were made, and everyone involved was expected in class for a regular day on Friday.