UD Students Plan To Construct A Box City
Oct 31, 2016
DUBUQUE, Iowa – About 60 University of Dubuque students plan to sleep in a city of 200 boxes during a Box City event on Friday, Nov. 4, on the campus Quad to raise awareness about homelessness.
UD resident assistants have worked with multiple organizations to collect donations and supplies for the Dubuque Rescue Mission and the Maria House as part of the event.
Participants will construct shelters out of cardboard boxes provided by local businesses at 5:00 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, on the campus Quad. They will then camp out in the shelter for the night, rain or shine. The goal of the event is to open students’ eyes to what a person without a home goes through on a nightly basis.
In addition to the demonstration, students will receive a situation or identity that they will simulate throughout the evening. For instance, students might be asked to simulate they are a single mother with a child, a brother who is responsible for his siblings, or a person who suffers from poor healthcare.
UD students, faculty, and staff are raising funds and collecting supplies for the Dubuque Rescue Mission and Maria House. Drop boxes will be placed on the Quad at 5:00 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4. Community members are encouraged to donate cleaning supplies, blankets, jackets, toiletries, and other items from the wish list on Maria House’s website at www.openingdoorsdbq.org.
For more information on how to donate, please contact Haley Pankratz at hpankratz@dbq.edu.