Volunteers ‘sleep out’ in Washington to raise homelessness awareness
Temperatures hovered in the low 40s and a steady rain fell on Friday night, but about a dozen volunteers traded their warm beds for tents and sleeping bags on the grounds of American Legion Post 175 in Washington.
It was part of a “sleep out” organized by the Washington County Department of Human Services Hunger and Homelessness Task Force to raise awareness of homelessness during national Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.
The sleep-out was one of several activities the task force held throughout the week – and, said Nicole Masur, Housing and Homelessness Director at DHS, it was impactful.
“We were asked several times if the sleep-out was still going to happen because of the rain and the cold, but the fact of the matter is, people who are experiencing homelessness don’t get to say, ‘It’s 30 degrees and raining, so I’m not going to be homeless today.’ So it was very important for us to continue on with this event, she said.
Masur said homelessness “has grown tremendously” in Washington County over the past two years, with the unhoused population increasing by 33%.
At the sleepout, which started at 8 p.m. Friday and ended at 8 a.m. Saturday, sleepers – most of whom work or volunteer in homeless services – experienced what it’s like to be homeless. They also talked about causes of homelessness including illness, job loss, injury, and mental health and substance use disorders, and discussed meaningful ways to address the problem.
One of the key reasons for the increase in homelessness, they said, is a persistent lack of affordable housing, coupled with rising costs of living that outpace wages.
“Tonight is a chance to step outside our daily comforts and recognize the vulnerability, the uncertainty and the hardship that come with not having stable shelter,” Masur said as the group prepared for the damp night ahead. “It’s also a moment to reflect on how quickly our circumstances can change. Anybody in this pavilion could experience homelessness at any given moment. But most importantly, tonight is a call to empathy, a call to action, a call to collaborative efforts among community members and organizations in our community. We’re here to learn, to listen, to understand better how we can advocate for, support, and stand with those in our community who need us the most.”
Two speakers who overcame homelessness and now advocate for those in need shared their inspiring stories at the event.
Debbie Thomas, a case worker for SHPS Connect, also spoke about the supportive services the organization provides to homeless, near-homeless, and low-income people.
Debbie Boardley, COO of Washington Christian Outreach, was among the group that slept out.
Boardley suffers from fibromyalgia, which causes chronic pain, and the sleep-out gave her a perspective about the challenges faced by the unhoused.
“It was an awesome experience, an eye-opener. For me to sleep in that tent was very difficult,” said Boardley. “I tossed and turned a lot, I got dripped on in my tent so I moved everything, but my sleeping bag and blanket got wet. I thought at one point it had to be 5 a.m. and I looked at my phone and it was 2:30 and I said that’s it, I’m going to my car.”
She finally drifted off to sleep in the passenger seat.
Others also fled their tents for their cars.
“It gave me a deeper understanding and it made me want to do more for the homeless. I don’t know how these people do it day in and day out, especially if they have health issues,” said Boardley.
Dr. Monica Speicher, director of WeCare Street Outreach, which provides free medical care, food, and other supplies to the homeless, spent the night with her dog, Penny. Dressed in cold weather camping gear, the seasoned camper – who once camped in freezing rain in the Antarctic – “figured it would be a piece of cake.”
“Aside from my night in Antarctica, (Friday) was the most uncomfortable night I think I have ever spent in a tent,” Speicher said in a long Facebook post about the sleep-out.
“I cannot imagine not being able to get dry and warm the next day,” said Speicher, noting she was able to go home, take a hot shower, and put on warm, dry clothes – an option that homeless people don’t have.
Masur said said the homeless population in Washington County isn’t as visible as it is in cities like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, “but the fact of the matter is we are a much more rural community and Washington is a large county, and the people who are unsheltered are often hidden and you don’t see them like you do in a downtown area.”
And Speicher worries that policy changes to SNAP and Medicaid, and other social safety nets, will worsen the homeless situation.
“A lot of them have jobs, they just aren’t making enough money, and it’s unfortunately going to get worse,” she said. “There is no social safety net anymore, and something like 50% of the country lives paycheck to paycheck. If you have one medical bill or some emergency bill of some sort, you are that close to homelessness.”
Sleeping out gave Masur an opportunity to experience some of the fears the homeless face each night, such as worrying that their possessions will be stolen or that someone will hurt them.
“Sometimes, people experiencing homelessness have everything they own around them and they’re fearful of things like, ‘Are all of my possessions going to be taken from me?'” said Masur, who shared that she was frightened when she heard a loud noise, but it turned out that someone in a nearby tent knocked over a metal water bottle.
The sleep-out also served as a fundraiser for Connect Inc.’s Washington Family Shelter and WeCare Street Outreach. The funds collected will be split between the two organizations.
St. John XXIII Interfaith Food Pantry of Finleyville provided pizza and breakfast for the sleepers, and Shop ‘N’ Save and Krispy Kreme also provided donations.