Students sleep out to help homeless
About 30 Buffalo State students experienced firsthand what it's like to be homeless by participating in the annual campus sleepout Thursday night. The event was part of NYPIRG's Homeless Outreach and Hunger Prevention Project.
"We have over 61 thousand homeless people in New York State. Just in Buffalo alone we have about 747 people," said Donnelle Piscitelli, NYPIRG's project coordinator at Buffalo State.
"Because of the economy, 24 percent of students nationwide don't have enough food because they're paying too much for tuition," she said.
Senior business major Carlos Cisneros expressed his concern that homelessness might become a reality for college students.
"A lot of us will graduate this year and won't have a high-paying job like most graduates from previous years. So even though homelessness has not been an option for all of us, it will be for some of the students who are graduating this coming year," he said.
Rachel Walk, a freshman theater major, showed empathy for what the homeless experience is like on a daily basis.
"It's really good to understand what the other side feels and stand in someone else's shoes," she said. "This is just October; I can't imagine what January would be like without a shelter. Doing this gives us a little bit of insight of what's actually going on."
The event started with a discussion of stereotypes and myths about homelessness. According to the students who participated, it is commonly perceived that the biggest group of the homeless population includes veterans, individuals with mental disabilities and people who simply don't want to work.
In reality, the situation is quite different. According to a study conducted in 2010 by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, each year more than 3 million people experience homelessness, including 1.3 million children.
Nearly one fifth of the homeless population is made up of veterans, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans. Persons with disabilities represented about 38 percent of all sheltered homeless persons, according to a 2009 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress.
Many of the students were concerned with those numbers and expressed their discontent with how little is done to combat homelessness. One of them was NYPIRG member Alex Bornemisza, a sophomore majoring in hospitality and tourism.
"Four thousand children die every hour of hunger around the world and (we) spent millions of dollars on bombs. We have ways to get seemingly unlimited supplies of energy while we spend millions and billions on harmful forms of energy like coal. I just feel like we as a society are not doing enough curb the problem. We need to do something and it's great to see so many people here tonight who really care," he said.
Students who are interested in helping the homeless can participate in "Treat or Eat," a Halloween food drive. Volunteers will be out in the community from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on October 30, asking for canned food to donate to the Western New York Food Bank. Anyone can sign up for the event by going to room 419 at the Student Union.
Maria Yankova can be reached by email at yankova.record@live.com.
Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly
Recent The Record News Articles
Discuss This Article
GET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
FOLLOW OUR NEWSPAPER
LATEST THE RECORD NEWS
- We've Moved to www.buffstaterecord.com!
- Obama divulges new higher education initiative during visit to UB
- Ailing Podolefsky steps down as president
- SUNY appoints Cohen interim president
- President Podolefsky announces leave to fight cancer
- Rappers put Pepsi in a bind
- Congrats to grads: take next step with gratitude
RECENT THE RECORD CLASSIFIEDS
OUTSIDE THE LINES
- Tips For Improving Mental Health
- New Writers and Illustrators Win Decades-Old Science...
- Moving Resources For Military Families
- Historic Agreement Signed By Red Cross and Armed Forces
- Salonpas® Brand Stands the Test of Time
- Tips to “Yard Your Way” This Spring
- Upgraded Upstate Power Grid Will Deliver a Smarter,...
- A Story To Sing About
- The Gap in Gum Care: Why Caring For Your Teeth’s F...
- Top Tips for Signature Scents and Better-Smelling Laundry
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- BookTrib’s Bites: Jump into Spring with These Four Reads
- The Untold Story of GoDaddy Founder’s Traumatic Life a...
- La Semana del Aprendizaje Juvenil destaca las oportunidades
- BookTrib's Bites: Four Captivating Spring Reads
- Moms Kick Back with Mamaritas
- Generac Urges Americans to Prepare for Power Outages Early
- Youth Apprenticeship Week Spotlights Opportunities
- New Expo Showcases AI Innovation
- Self-Care and Mental Health Tips for Caregivers
- Adventure Awaits: Discover the Playset that Brings...
COLLEGE PRESS RELEASES
- NOW Available: Comcast Launches NOW Brand Prepaid Internet and Mobile Services Nationwide
- Guidenar Launches New Career Test for Gen Z
- GotIt! Education Offers MathGPT Free to All State & Community Colleges
- Shoff Promotions Comic Book & Sports Card Show
- Semiconductor Research Corp unveils 2024 Research Call, $13.8M Funding