WKU students gathered on South Lawn Thursday evening, setting up camp for a night of activities in the annual Phi Beta Sigma’s “Sleep Out for the Homeless” event.
The Epsilon Theta Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma, a historically African American fraternity, holds the event each year to raise awareness of those facing homelessness. This year it also collected donations to be sent to local shelters.
Yhon Bazira, sophomore Phi Beta Sigma Director of Social Action and event coordinator, introduced multiple guest speakers to share personal stories and inform attendees of resources in Bowling Green.
Carlos Bailey, Bowling Green city commissioner, highlighted various causes of homelessness and called for the youth of Bowling Green to make a collective effort to solve the issue.
“We live in a world where many people are just one unexpected event from being homeless,” Bailey said. ”Whether it’s volunteering, raising awareness, donating to charities or simply offering a kind word and dignity to someone who is struggling, you can make a difference.”
Amelia Kolb, Assistant Director of Student Activities, shared her perspective of seeing students on campus who struggle to find a consistent shelter while studying at the university.
“WKU receives an influx of calls for students who have no home to return to [during breaks],” Kolb said. “Staff works to the best of their ability to ensure these students are housed. However, limited resources can often make this a challenge.”
