150 people sleep outside to raise awareness about homelessness in Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Hundreds of volunteers from Chicago and beyond bundled up Thursday night to sleep outside—braving the coldest night of the season so far.
The annual Sleep Out tradition from Covenant House raises awareness and money for Chicagoans facing homelessness.
Covenant House Illinois was founded in 2017, and offers young adults experiencing homelessness a path to independence by providing needed resources—like shelter, or a job to get them back on their feet.
This year, Covenant House hopes to raise $650,000 to continue its efforts. The organization is holding its annual sleepout as usual in November—which is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month.
On Thursday night, 150 volunteers put themselves in the shoes of those they are helping by sleeping outside—regardless of the cold weather.
"But think about it—if every night, someone is unhoused, this is what they have to go through, right?" Susan Reyna-Guerrero, chief executive officer of Covenant House Illinois.
Tony Luongo flew in from Boston to participate for the third time. He will fly back to Boston in the morning once the Sleep Out is over.
Luongo works for Cisco Systems, which is a sponsor of the event.
"So I have my long johns, I have my scarf, I have my face mask, I have my cap, I have my gloves—I'm ready to put myself in the best position possible so I can be in a comfortable spot as much as I can," he said.
Accenture Chicago is also a sponsor, with 55 employees from its local office participating in the Sleep Out.
"We are here to solve the challenges and help out in any ways," said Anil Kar, managing director of Accenture Chicago. "So the excitement is with the people who are participating, and all over Accenture."
Late Thursday night, volunteers were set to gather their belongings and make their way to a patio along the Chicago River, where they would sleep through the night. Many may not stay the entire night, but others will stay until 6 a.m., reflect on the night, and go on about their day Friday.
Related: In February 1991, Walter Jacobson brought awareness to the crisis of homelessness in Chicago with a six-part series of special reports for Channel 2 News where he experienced homelessness himself. Watch Walter Jacobson's Mean Street Diary here.
