On Thursday November 11th, the O'Neill Leadership class organized and participated in an event to better understand the issue of homelessness in Canada.  We asked one of the organizing students to sum up the experience... 

Did you know that 200,000-300,000 people in Canada are homeless on any given night? A group of dedicated students from O'Neill became aware of this and decided to do their part to change it. Through pledges, clothing donations and spending "One Night Out", students had the opportunity to assist a local shelter, the Refuge, while also placing themselves in the shoe of a homeless individual.

The event began with a presentation at the Refuge about homelessness in Oshawa followed by a walking tour of the places in Oshawa where homeless youth often frequent and sleep. Our guide, Brian, delivered both with undeniable passion and provided personal stories and examples of kids he knew who had endured the difficulties we were learning about.

After the activities at the Refuge had finished, everyone returned to O'Neill for a soup-kitchen style dinner as well as a variety of educational discussion games. These activities allowed students the chance to discuss what they had learned and share their feelings and were also successful in bonding the entire group. Students then watched the film 'The Soloist' which follows the life of a mentally-ill homeless man and accurately depicts the reality of being in such a difficult situation.

Soup Kitchen dinner                        

Afterwards, students and supervisors alike spent the night on the hard, gym floor with nothing more than sleeping bags. In the morning, a healthy breakfast was provided by the O'Neill breakfast club and students created their own name-tags which identified them as 'One Night Out' participants to raise awareness about the event and its purpose. 'One Night Out' was held at O'Neill to meet two objectives: raise awareness about youth homelessness in Oshawa and collect donations.

Through the feedback we heard as well as the 20+ bags of clothing donations and $700 raised, O'Neill met its goals! Unexpectedly, we also surpassed our expectations by also bonding a group of students who were not closely acquainted and fueling compassion towards this important cause! 'One Night Out' was a complete success and we thank everyone who participated and assisted!

40 students + 20 bags of winter clothes + 700 dollars + compassion and dedication = 'One Night Out' for change!

Note:  Some participants found it particularly poignant that this event began on Remembrance Day, as earlier in the day we had honoured the soldiers who had gave of themselves for a better way of life. Homelessness among Canadian war veterans is an issue that the public has recently become more aware of... Homelessness among Veterans