Students on UBC Okanagan鈥檚 campus are getting a first-person perspective on what it鈥檚 like to be homeless.
For five days, students are sleeping outside of the campus UNC building to raise awareness and gather donations for H.O.P.E. Outreach, a volunteer group that provides vulnerable women with shelter and resources.
Paarus Kahlon and Kennedy Dass zipped their sleeping bags together to stay warm. The pair will not shower, change their clothes, sleep inside, or buy food for the full five days.
Pizza boxes, a bag of carrots, cups of coffee and folded cardboard boxes were scattered around them.
The students were each given a kit by H.O.P.E. which contains a toothbrush, shampoo, a needle disposal kit, a chocolate bar and a few other necessities.
鈥淚t鈥檚 harder than it looks, this is obviously not exactly what (homeless people) go through. Our friends and family here are donating food and there鈥檚 a lot of students on campus reach out to us because they know us,鈥� said Kahlon.
The event, put on by the UBCO Management Association, started at 5 p.m. Sunday and will go until Friday at 5 p.m.
鈥淪o many people stare at us on their way and you just really understand how homeless people are sitting there all day, and people just walk by them and give them looks,鈥� said student AJ Lefebre.
For the biggest night planned for Wednesday, organizers expect between 10 to 17 participants. Not all participating students will spend five days outside.
鈥淭he whole point is raising awareness, we want other students to understand what it鈥檚 like to (be homeless),鈥� said Kahlon. 鈥淲e鈥檝e reached the goal of everyone on campus is thinking about it, thinking about homelessness. Of course, we鈥檙e targeting absolute homelessness.鈥�
The participating students have also faced criticism.
鈥淭he most criticism we鈥檙e getting is 鈥榟omeless people don鈥檛 have laptops.鈥� We are students, we need to finish our assignments while living on the street,鈥� said Kahlon.
They said the expectation is not to experience complete homelessness but to bring awareness to the issue in 91大黄鸭.
Related: 鈥楳ade-in-the-Okanagan鈥� solutions to homelessness
Last year, Lefebre sat outside with a change jar.
鈥淚t was amazing how many people avoided us by crossing the street,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f you treat me this way and you know I鈥檓 a full-blown student, how do you treat people downtown that are actually asking for change?鈥�
鈥淪ince that experience last year, I don鈥檛 walk by a homeless person without giving them a toonie or however much I have in my wallet. It鈥檚 really opened my eyes to how people stare at us. There鈥檚 such a negative stigma around it.鈥�
Fourth year student Riley Knudsgaard said she supported the idea to try and raise awareness.
Student union president Trophy Ewila said the students have created conversation on campus, both negative and positive
On Friday, the association is holding an event at Tree Brewing at 7 to 9 p.m. All proceeds will go to H.O.P.E. Outreach.
To report a typo, email: edit@kelownacapnews.com.
<>
carli.berry@kelownacapnews.com
Like us on and follow us on .
