Delbarton Sleep Out 2019

On Saturday March 30, Delbarton students and parents slept outside for a night in order to understand what homeless teenagers across America experience every night. Besides sleeping outside for a night, every member of the group raised money to support Covenant House. This year, the Sleep Out participants raised $88,515 which crushed their goal of $75,000. The members achieved their goal by setting personal quotas they attempted to meet. Additionally, if a student raised a certain amount of money, they received an incentive reward. For instance, the rewards included a t-shirt, breakfast sandwich, hat, and a chance to win an $100 gift card. The proceeds of the event go to Covenant House programs that offer homeless youth a chance to get off the streets and stay out of danger. Covenant House primarily aids homeless youth by providing them with food, clothing, housing, education, and employment.

The Sleep Out evening opened with a mass celebrated by Fr. Demetrius. Then, all the participants went to the Fine Arts Center to learn how much money had been raised. The students and parents then heard from a panel of Covenant House residents who explained how people end up on the streets and how they transitioned from homelessness. Next, the group held a candlelight vigil on the plaza in between Old Main and the Fine Arts Center. Finally, the students and parents slept outside just like a homeless person would do. Danny Hajjar, one of the Sleep Out Coordinators, reflected “The Sleep Out is always an amazing turnout. The fact that we as a community raised close to 90 thousand dollars for homeless youth is truly unbelievable. The speakers per usual were phenomenal and their personal experiences left us all inspired and remembered how blessed we are.” So, the Sleep Out clearly changed how students think about their own lives and put their own situations into perspective.