Starting this morning, some fraternity and sorority members will get a chance to experience what it is like to be homeless.

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and its sister chapter Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. will be camping out for 24 hours in cardboard boxes on central campus in an effort to raise money for the homeless of central Iowa. The campaign starts today at 6 a.m. and will run until Thursday at 6 a.m.

Richard Freeman, graduate president of Phi Beta Sigma, said between 20 and 30 people will take part in the second annual sleep over.

“[The fraternity and sorority members] will be sleeping outside, living and operating as a homeless person would,” said Brian Tenclinger, coordinator for Greek Affairs.

Brian Butler, undergraduate president of Phi Beta Sigma, said the members want to do their part to bring attention to the situation.

“It’s a problem in other [larger] cities, and we want to bring awareness to the [Ames community],” Butler said.

Butler said the fraternity decided to develop a campaign for the homeless because “they seem like the neediest people.”

All proceeds from this year’s event will be given to an Ames homeless shelter, Freeman said.

He said last year’s sleep over was “fairly successful” and raised a few hundred dollars, which was given to an Ames homeless shelter and a Des Moines homeless shelter.

The idea for the community service project was initiated by one of the fraternity’s Iowa chapters.

Now all Iowa Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. chapters participate in the sleep over, Freeman said.

And the fraternity members’ efforts to help the central Iowa’s homeless have not gone unrecognized by their peers.

“I’m really proud of the men in the fraternity for taking this on,” Tenclinger said, adding that the project is tough and time consuming.

“It’s an excellent opportunity,” he said.

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. will have a box at the campsite for the duration of the sleep-over where donations of non-perishable food, clothing and money will be collected.