Sleep in a Box

When former Shawnee Mission Northwest HS student Jeremy Foster organized the first student council-sponsored benefit for homeless men, he was thinking outside the box. Through his research, Foster discovered Shalom House, a shelter for homeless men in nearby Kansas City, KS. He suggested that students could raise money for the shelter and also raise their own awareness about homelessness by collecting pledges and spending a night in a cardboard box.

Foster's idea was so successful that it has become an annual event. In April 2004, students celebrated the fifth anniversary of Sleep in a Box and generated more than $5,000 for their cause.

According to faculty adviser Bill Sanderson, Foster wanted to find a way to benefit the community but also to make a lasting impression on fellow classmates by developing a less traditional type of community service project. There was some attention in the community given to homeless shelters for women and children, but not as much publicity given to the plight of homeless men.

Foster presented the concept of Sleep in a Box to school administrators, but his idea was vetoed due to fears of inadequate supervision. Foster was persistent and offered compromise. When he suggested that participating students be grouped into teams of five with one adult supervisor for every five students, administrators finally approved the plan.

The event is organized each year by the Shawnee Mission Northwest student council. The basic agenda for the fundraiser is always the same, but student council members must work together to ensure that all bases are covered. According to Sanderson, the most labor-intensive part of the project is keeping track of the registration forms and reconciling the number of participants with the dollars collected. "The students are always looking for more efficient ways to improve the process," says Sanderson. "This year's event seemed even more organized than usual. It was the kids' idea to set up a computer spreadsheet to streamline the record keeping."

Along with the implementation of new ideas, student leaders also utilize methods that have been successful in the past. Through experience, student council members discovered that selecting the Sleep in a Box project leader one year in advance guarantees a smoother transition from year to year. Austin Marsh, 2004 project leader and student council vice president, initially learned about his role by assisting the previous year's coordinator. During his time as project leader, Marsh worked as a mentor and passed along his knowledge to Allison Hunt, 2004 junior class president and Sleep in a Box coordinator for the upcoming 2005 event.

For Marsh, the concept of mentoring makes sense and has helped him identify some positive leadership qualities. "Good leaders are involved and set a good example through their actions, but they also know how to delegate responsibility to others," he says.

Another of the student council's traditional responsibilities is the organization of a Sleep in a Box T-shirt contest. The contest is an effective way to generate excitement about the event and to provide other classmates with an opportunity to get involved. Students are asked to submit creative, original designs illustrating the significance of the fundraiser. The winning design is printed onto more than 100 T-shirts, which are offered for sale. Proceeds from T-shirt sales are added to the pledges collected by "sleeping" students.

To help manage the workload and promote team spirit within the school, student council leaders also enlist the aid of other Shawnee Mission Northwest student organizations. Every year, the Cougars for Community Commitment purchase pizza to feed hungry participants on the evening of the sleep out. The National Honor Society greets early risers with breakfast the following morning, and the Key Club, another school-sponsored community service organization, picks up the trash after the event has concluded. In addition to the important services provided, members of these student organizations are also Sleep injthe Box participants. They collect pledges and spend the night braving the elements along with student council leaders.

As in years past, the 2004 event began with students congregating on the track at the high school around 8:00 p.m. with their cardboard boxes. According to Hunt, participants are getting increasingly more creative in the design of their nighttime home away from home. "This year one student used plastic wrap to create a skylight in his box," she says. "Some students join their boxes to create makeshift forts."

After the lodgings were completed, the event kicked into high gear with friendly games of soccer, softball, and Frisbee. The students also enjoyed warm pizza, roasted marshmallows around a burning trash barrel, and an accidental shower from the school's lawn sprinklers. To the casual observer, this might have appeared to be a party in progress, but the students knew that much more was involved than just an evening of frolicking with their friends.

At 10:00 p.m., a hush descended over the field as 135 event participants gathered to listen to Mary Kay Meyers, the director of Shalom House. Each year, Meyers attends the event and shares information about homelessness in the Kansas City area. The house gets no funding from outside relief organizations such as the United Way so they rely on local fundraisers like Sleep in a Box to help purchase water, food, and medication for their beneficiaries. Meyers pointed out that she also uses a portion of the proceeds from the event to assist other local homeless prevention initiatives.

Last year, Meyers started a new tradition by bringing along two men who know how it feels to be homeless, one a current occupant of Shalom House and one a former resident. Many of the students were surprised to hear that both men were college graduates. For Hunt and Marsh, the the men's participation added to the reality of homelessness. "The men gave a face to the problem," Hunt says. "It had an impact on me when the director said that we are the generation that can change this problem. I think we can and must do something. The problem is closer to home than we realize."

For his part, Marsh's work on Sleep in a Box has motivated him to continue to help the homeless in the future when he has more resources. "The event has made me understand that there are homeless people in all cities and states, even right here in Kansas," he says. "When you wake up in the morning after having slept in a box, the reality sinks in. It makes an impression."

Every so often, the student leader behind the idea for Sleep in a Box checks in with his former faculty adviser. Sanderson says that Foster, who graduated in 2000, is proud of the legacy he has left behind. Five years later, the event is still serving its original purpose: to benefit homeless men in Kansas and to leave students with a lasting impression and a desire to offer continued service to the homeless community.

"It is amazing what students can do when they put their minds to it," Sanderson says. "Most of us don't really think about being homeless. Harry Truman used to say that unemployment only matters if you are unemployed. This is the same concept. We are aware that there are homeless people, but we don't feel the impact unless it happens to us. Sleep in a Box is a powerful way to increase awareness among our students."

Kathleen Wilson Shryock is a freelance writer in Olathe. KS.

Copyright National Association of Secondary School Principals Jan 2005
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