Sana

"I was the last one to join the sleep out 120 gang. The reason of being the last was because I had an exam in the afternoon. It was around 7:30 pm in the evening when I spotted several people in red hoodies and huge backpacks lying on the floor. We introduced one another and then Kathryn led us towards a shelter that a currently homeless man was residing, where we could donated some food and Sleep Out bracelets. Unfortunately, he wasn't in his shelter. What we found were some uncleaned clothes, blankets and a pillow. There was garbage laying around the small area he was living. It was upsetting to see someone having to live like that no matter what his or her reason be. It made me think that it could have happened to me too. Then we went through the streets and collected some donation and spread awareness about youth homelessness. At 10 pm we brushed our teeth and headed towards our sleeping spot. Everybody laid and rolled out their sleeping bags and were ready to sleep. We had to cuddle to keep warm. It was my first time sleeping out and the temperature was -8. The tip of my tongue was frozen, and I realized I could barely feel my lower body, and couldn't sleep at all. I usually can sleep anywhere without any trouble, but this was tough. A couple people decided to go use the restroom. I thought I could use a walk and joined them. When we returned, I felt warmer and could sleep for a while. Last night I realized what it means to have a home and to know how vulnerable the homeless actually feel."