The time I have spent volunteering and working with the less fortunate has impacted me more than any other experience at Iowa State. But more importantly, it made me realize that it is not enough to just volunteer my time. If we truly want to make a difference, we have to ask ourselves these questions: “Why?” Why there are injustices in our society? How we can prevent others from facing the same problems?

The purpose of the Homeless Sleep Out ’09, on Tuesday, is to raise awareness for the issue of homelessness, educate ISU students and faculty members on why homelessness is a problem and raise money for homeless prevention in Ames. All monetary donations will be given to the Emergency Residence Project, in Ames, to help families who are in danger of losing their homes.

The Homeless Sleep Out Committee and I encourage students to camp out south of the Campanile to raise awareness for the homeless. Want to hear real life testimonies from people that work with the homeless daily, or who have been homeless themselves?

Attend the Panel Discussion on Homelessness from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the Oak Room of the Memorial Union. For more information and a complete schedule, join the event “Homeless Sleep Out ’09” on Facebook.

By volunteering our time, educating ourselves and helping to raise awareness for those without a voice, we can help the less fortunate and prevent others from becoming homeless.

Christina Blakley

Senior

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