GREENSBORO, N.C. — Bedtime was at midnight over on Guilford Technical Community College's campus for the Early Middle College students sleeping outside in the cold.
Students apart of Guilford County School's Early Middle College at GTCC participated in a 'Sleep Out' event. Not only were they raising awareness but they were experiencing what many people in the homeless community face on a nightly basis and that is sleeping outside.
"I'm not prepared for it! I don't think anyone can be prepared for it because we haven't experienced it ourselves. This is the event for that, so even though we have to do it one day out of this week, people in these unfortunate situations do it constantly," Student Council President of the Early Middle College, Giovanni Robinson said.
WFMY News 2's Nixon Norman spoke with one of the founders who helped create this event nearly 10 years ago in 2014. She felt it was necessary to have students partake in this event during winter temperatures.
"We [the founders of 'Sleep Out'] wanted them to understand that it was not an option, you know? Obviously, nobody wants to sleep out but we wanted them to get the real feel of what it's like not having a comfortable home to sleep in. What it's like to have to sleep in boxes or just on the street or in blankets, so he wanted them to get the real feel of it and the only way we thought that would be if we did it in the colder months," One of the Founders of Early Middle College's 'Sleep Out' event, Paula Ritter-Lipscomb said.
Sleeping outside Thursday night isn't the only thing these students are doing to raise awareness. They're also donating necessities to local members of the community who need it most, the homeless community.
"I know some people don't have some of the necessities that they should and we're collecting canned items, sanitary stuff, lotion, anything that we can just help those out who don't have that," Student Council Representative of the Early Middle College, Janat Alwakwak said.
Parents and students arrived at GTCC's campus to set up their cardboard huts and tents around 7 p.m. Thursday.
Students will stay and sleep outside until 7 a.m. Friday.