Teens in Columbia to Sleep in Cardboard Boxes

Teenagers will be having an unusual sleepover this weekend in Columbia.

Members of the Columbia Jewish Congregation Teen Class will make homes out of cardboard boxes, where they will sleep Saturday night outside the Oakland Mills Interfaith Center.

The idea behind the “Cardboard City Sleepout“ is to understand what kinds of conditions the homeless face daily and provide support for the homeless in Howard County, according to a statement from the Columbia Jewish Congregation.

Approximately 170 people are homeless in Howard County, the 2014 survey of the homeless shows.

The Columbia Jewish Congregation said it selected the Oct. 11 date for the sleepout because it coincides with the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, a harvest holiday when Jews build temporary dwellings and commemorate 40 years of wandering in the desert.

During the Saturday night sleepout, students will learn about homelessness and raise funds for shelters.

They will also make care packages with essential items to give to the homeless. Donations will go to Bridges to Housing Stability, Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center and Bread for the City.

Anyone who wants to donate is invited to bring these suggested items to the sleepout area, outside the interfaith center, starting at 8 p.m. Saturday:

• Baby products (diapers, pull-ups, baby wipes, diaper rash creams)
• Personal items (deodorant, body lotions, toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, razors, shaving cream and feminine hygiene products)
• Household items (laundry detergent, bleach, pillowcases, towels, washcloths, laundry bags, cleaning supplies, paper products)
• Food (cereal, coffee, tea, tuna, canned fruit, macaroni and cheese)
• Gift cards (Giant, Costco, Target, gas stations, Safeway, Walgreens)
• Money

The Cardboard City Sleepout in Columbia will be at 5885 Robert Oliver Place from 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11, to 8 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 12. Only members of the