KENNESAW, Ga. — Student homelessness is a growing national crisis - college kids who should be focused on learning, instead worried out their next meal and finding a stable place to live
Kennesaw State University is zeroing in on the problem this week, during its 12th annual Homelessness Awareness Week, which runs through Saturday
Events so far have included a food drive and affordable housing design competition, with a vigil for the Cobb County homeless community, to honor those who have died in the last year, set for Thursday night.
The week will culminate with a "Sleep Out Challenge" on Friday that challenges students to face the issue in a more personal way, sleeping in their cars, outside in a tent or in a simulated Red Cross shelter.
"It's just one night, but they get a peak at how hard it is for any homeless person, as well as one of their fellow students who may be sleeping in their car," an organizer said.
The week is organized by Kennesaw State's Campus Awareness, Resource and Empowerment (CARE) Services program, which serves students experiencing homelessness, food insecurity or foster care.
11Alive is partnered with Atlanta Mission, Brock Built Homes, Atlanta Housing Authority and Underpriced Furniture, on the Building Hope and a Future campaign, to support building the proposed Ethel Street Shelter on Atlanta's west side, designed specifically for women and children experiencing homelessness.
If you donate for a chance to win a $400,000 home, you'll be helping to transform the landscape of homeless care for the more than 4,000 women and children who sought shelter with Atlanta Mission last year.
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