From Arkansas State University’s The Herald:
Fraternity hosts homeless benefit
By Ashley HelliwellPartnering with the Jonesboro Salvation Army, the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity held its 14th Annual Sleep Out for the Homeless and Hungry Project Thursday night.
Each year the fraternity has held this event in order to raise awareness about the issue of worldwide homelessness.
To raise awareness for this cause, the men of PBS placed boxes in residence halls and other places around the community.
These boxes were labeled specifically for canned goods, blankets, hygiene kits and clothing to aid the Salvation Army in their fight against homelessness.
This year the fraternity set up a table in the Student Union so other campus organizations could help donate as well as individual students.
However, the PBS brothers did not stop at that. For one night, the fraternity gave up the privilege of sleeping in their own beds and camped outside to raise awareness for homelessness, which helped them empathize with those who have no choice but to sleep outside every night.
The Salvation Army depends solely on donations like this from PBS and the community as a whole to make what they do possible. Homelessness is much more rampant than most people realize.
“The amazing thing is that in a community this size, we stay about 90 percent full, even during the summer which is the slackest time for emergency shelters,” said Salvation Army representative Eugene Gesner.
“Donations this year have been great, and it is good to know that you can take these donations of food, clothing and money and be able to give them to those who are less fortunate,” said Jerry Love, a senior PBS member and finance major of Marion.