“One Night Without a Home”
“One Night Without a Home” Awareness Sleep Out takes place nationally during Awareness Week.
The “One Night” is an opportunity for residents to spend a night outside to discuss, think, and learn about homelessness. Although one night outside can in no way simulate homelessness, this awareness-raising activity can promote advocacy, protest, and education.
Duration:
About 12 hours, such as from 7 p.m. until morning.
Format
- Develop your mission statement. Address the questions of who, what, where, when, and why?
- Make sure to receive permission right away from your city or county officials and community/school administrators concerning location, security, and other logistics.
- Invite homeless people, community leaders, residents and community spokespersons to speak.
- Choose an appropriate site (central to community activities).
- Ask local businesses for donations (food, drinks, supplies, money).
- Ask other groups to co-sponsor the event, such as organizations (e.g. Food Not Bombs, Habitat for Humanity) that can serve food to homeless guests.
- Prepare group discussion topics that will promote interaction among all participants.
- Begin the night with a vigil or a march to draw attention and participants to the event.
- Include information for participants to act upon what they’ve learned (community service, letter writing, advocacy organizations).
- In the morning, allow time for participants to share their thoughts and concerns.
Sample Agenda
6:00 p.m. Gather participants and provide transportation for homeless guests
7:00 p.m. Serve coffee and/or a meal
8:00 p.m. Speakers/candlelight vigil/music
9:00 p.m. Discussion groups
11:00 p.m. Late night food line/music
7:00 a.m. Breakfast /closing remarks/wrap-up
Additional suggestions
- Contact local shelters or homeless advocates about bringing homeless people to your event. Ask these contacts to participate in the Night as well.
- Ask local musicians to play. Music is a great way to bring people together.
- Distribute fact sheets and information about hunger and homelessness and the other events for the Awareness Week.
- Make sure to recruit a lot of people early on to participate. Ask homeless people, students, faculty, and community members.
- Post a list of rules on the night of the event. These may include: 1) no drugs or alcohol, 2) do not interrupt those who are speaking, 3) respect all views, 4) do not leave the site. Also, post and announce the agenda, people in charge, bathroom locations, indoor sites, food and first aid stations. You may choose to put a container out for donations. Have a facilitator to mediate any disputes that may arise.
- Set aside some time for group discussion about hunger and homelessness in your community and/or in our nation. Provide paper and pencils for people to jot down their ideas. This is a good time to promote future projects, such as a day of fasting.
Wrap-Up
Appoint a committee to draft a group resolution based on the discussions that night. Establish a common ground for participants who would like to take future action. Collect names, phone numbers, and email addresses of people for future reference and provide access to information on local service sites.
For more information about the “One Night Without a Home,” please contact:
Michael O’Neill
Director, Faces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau
National Coalition for the Homeless
2201 P St., NW
Washington, DC 20037-1033
Phone: (202) 462-4822 x20
Fax: (202) 462-4823
Email: moneill@nationalhomeless.org
Website: www.nationalhomeless.org
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