Cherry Hill Resident Helps Organize Sleepout For Homelessness

CHERRY HILL, NJ — In the spring of 2017, Nitan Shanas went on a trip that would change his life. The then-Cherry Hill High School East senior and his friends took a trip to Washington, DC.
They had just finished eating, and Shanas had some leftover food. Rather than throwing it away, he gave it to a homeless man, who then struck up a conversation.

It was Shanas’s first up-close-and-personal experience with homelessness, and it left a lasting impression.

“I realized that when I am helping people, I can learn a lot from them as well, while striving to brighten up their day,” said Shanas, now a Rutgers University–Camden Civic Scholar.

Shanas, a junior who double majors in urban studies and psychology, is helping to organize an event that sheds a light on the struggles of homelessness, the university announced.

He’s teaming with Joseph’s House of Camden to organize a “Sleepout for Homelessness.” This event for faculty, staff, and students will take place on the Rutgers–Camden campus from 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14, to 7 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 15.

More than 30 Rutgers students, faculty, and staff — and counting — will participate in the event, which will begin with an informative three-hour program indoors that covers public policy on homelessness, and some of the myths and misconceptions about housing insecurity.

Participants will then sleep outside in the Campus Center Quad, followed by a morning reflection encouraging participants to share their thoughts on the experience and discussing ways that they can continue to solve this important issue in the future. Donations to the event are currently being accepted.

Shanas is hoping that participants will gain a firsthand, albeit limited, experience of the daily struggles faced by people experiencing homelessness.

“I hope that the sleepout will be an unforgettable activity – one that might push participants out of their comfort zones, and one that will inspire and cause participants to rethink the things we take for granted on a daily basis,” Shanas said.

The Rutgers–Camden Honors College and College Democrats are co-sponsoring the event.

“Most importantly, we want participants to educate themselves,” said Shanas, who has shown a passion and concern for helping others since he was a child.

Shanas was born in Gan Yavne, Israel, and his family moved to the United States in 2009 in pursuit of better educational opportunities, according to the university. He grew up in Cherry Hill.

One of the first projects that really opened his eyes to the challenges in American society was an after-school program in which he helped children with special needs and those facing socioeconomic challenges.

He helped kids with their homework as a school-based mentor and served as co-president of the program throughout his high school years.

“This was where I first experienced the gratification of helping others in need,” Shanas said.

He was a Boy Scout, and enjoyed collecting items for the Cherry Hill Food Pantry each year. For his Eagle Scout project, he created a subsection of an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant trail in a local urban forest. He also helped his fellow scouts on various Eagle Scout projects.

A few months after his trip to Washington, DC, in 2017, he enrolled at Rutgers-Camden. He took on a role as a Civic Scholar, a role he sees as nothing short of a privilege.

“It is extremely rewarding to be part of a program focused on benefitting the city of Camden, working alongside other students who are just as passionate about social issues as I am,” Shanas said.

Among his most memorable experiences thus far, Shanas volunteered with New Visions, a day shelter for homeless adults in Camden. When New Visions suddenly closed over a year ago, he immediately began working at Joseph’s House of Camden, an overnight homeless shelter serving around 85 homeless adults every night.

He initially worked as a night/morning greeter and soon got the opportunity to work as a service navigator, helping guests secure a host of social services.

Shanas has also been active in nationwide Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week efforts, raising and awareness about homelessness and food insecurity. He also helped organizations in the area raise money and provide service opportunities for these causes.

As a research assistant, he studied how homelessness and financial insecurity impact a child’s ability to succeed.

He and Michael D’Italia, program coordinator for engaged civic learning at Rutgers–Camden spoke about the topic of professionalism at the Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development last year. He will moderate a career panel at the nonprofit’s upcoming conference.

Over the summer, Shanas was part of a local grant review panel for Federal Emergency Management Agency grants, providing up to $100,000 in funding for local agencies that deal with food insecurity.

“All of these experiences were made possible through the Civic Scholars program and the supportive staff from the Office of Civic Engagement at Rutgers–Camden,” Shanas said. “I am beyond lucky for these opportunities.”

Shanas is set to graduate from Rutgers-Camden in 2021. After that, he intends to pursue a master’s degree in public administration, with the goal of attaining a leadership position in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or other related agencies.

“This would enable me to have the authority and privilege to make impactful decisions that will serve to improve the lives of those in need,” Shanas said.