Stepinac High School students recently slept overnight outdoors in cardboard boxes on the school’s athletic fields and raised more than $40,000 to help
the unsheltered homeless in their communities and New York City. The volunteer event in which 250 students participated in, set new records for Stepinac,
including the amount of money raised in the Cardboard Box City Campaign, which was organized by the school’s Campus Ministry.
By spending an entire chilly evening in cardboard boxes in an open field instead of the comfort and warmth of their homes, the students gained an understanding of the personal challenges that America’s unsheltered homeless—estimated at more than a half million individuals and families including many who are children— experience. Their impressive efforts will help bring relief to some of the unsheltered homeless in Westchester communities where the
students live as well as in New York City.
In advance of the evening event, students were instructed to bring with them large cardboard boxes as well as blankets and pillows. They were also advised to eat dinner before arriving, as their overnight stay would be a long one, lasting nearly 12 hours before ending at 8 a.m. the next day. The success of the campaign
was the result of the energy and generosity of the students who mobilized parents, friends, members of the administration, faculty and staff to join in lending
their support. Contributions to Stepinac’s vitally important community cause can still be made via this link: www.stepinac.org/boxcity.
Service to the community to help make a difference in the lives of those in need is a key component of Stepinac’s Campus Ministry program. Because seniors are required to complete 100 hours of community service in order to graduate, participation in the Campus Ministry program starting in the freshman year helps to establish a strong foundation in the student’s life-long commitment to serving the community, one of the distinguishing hallmarks of Stepinac’s alumni.
(Submitted)
