Sitting in a cardboard box, wrapped in a blanket while snow fell, Sandra Apgar, professor of social work, said that she began to feel as though she were indeed homeless.
As the snow was blowing, Apgar said, faculty members came outside to where she and Katherine Rowell, professor of sociology sat, and delivered hot chocolate to them.
“That hot chocolate tasted better than any I’ve had since,” Apgar said, remembering the appreciation she felt for having the warmth of the drink. “I’ll never look at hot chocolate again the same.”
Apgar’s memory is from an experience she had at a previous Box-a-thon, an event which will be occurring once again at Sinclair Community College on Nov. 9 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. outside of Building 7 facing the Quad.
Apgar, Rowell and students who volunteer to take part in the event will be in boxes in an effort to raise money, which this year will be donated to the Montgomery County Gateway Shelter (which runs St. Vincent de Paul’s Shelter for the Homeless), Rowell said during a phone interview.
The funds collected this year will be used to provide breakfast to the people residing at St. Vincent’s, according to the flyer for the event distributed by the sponsors of the Box-a-thon.
“We’ve gotten as much as $500,” Apgar said. “Anything people can give is appreciated, even if you don’t have $5 or $10. It’s an uplifting experience to see how people really care.”
The Box-a-thon is intended not only to raise funds but also to raise awareness about homelessness, Rowell said.
“Every single year for the past 13 years there have been students who come by and share their stories,” Rowell said.
She said that there are students attending Sinclair who are facing homelessness, having to stay in their car, a shelter or in unsafe living conditions while trying to obtain an education.
“There are so many reasons for homelessness,” Apgar said.
For example, a woman attempting to escape an abusive husband or the changing economic landscape that makes obtaining a job difficult are two reasons among others, according to Apgar.
“A lot of times people think the homeless are mentally ill [or] alcoholic,” Apgar said. “We tend to blame the victim.”
The concept of the Box-a-thon is used in many communities nationwide, said Rowell, adding that the event is sometimes held in correlation with the National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. The dates for this year are Nov. 12 to Nov. 20, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless website.
Rowell, who had been a facilitator of this event before coming to Sinclair, started the annual Box-a-thon at the Sinclair campus during her second year of employment, Rowell said.
Box-a-thon, the term used for the event, was coined by Rowell’s students and was originally based on the idea that each volunteer would obtain sponsors, who would be willing to donate money based on the length of time the volunteer spent in the box, according to Rowell.
Participants in more recent Box-a-thons simply ask for donations from people passing by their boxes, Apgar said.
Students interested in volunteering are encouraged to contact Apgar at (937) 512-2708.
Students are also welcome to introduce themselves on the actual day of the event and volunteer on the spot, if they would like, without contacting anyone in advance, according to Apgar.
“I’m hoping that students learn [and] gain insight on homelessness, knowing that their efforts can make a difference,” Apgar said. “I want students to understand we’re all in this together, we’re all vulnerable.”