Neither rain, snow nor cold temperatures will stop the 12th Avenue Baptist Church youth from sleeping in boxes the night of Oct. 30 to help benefit people in need said Danny Payne, associate pastor of students and administration.
The money raised this year will be used to purchase food for the Salvation Army food pantry. People can donate a dollar amount or go buy food and donate that. The goal this year is more than $30,000 and the church hopes to be able to take a couple thousand of that every other month and purchase food for the pantry.
Students have been busy getting pledges for the drive.
“Our students have been soliciting donations and pledges,” Payne said. “It is pretty cool. ... We’ve had people give food and money. It’s pretty fun to see. People are getting behind it.”
One hundred percent of donations will be used for the food pantry.
“There is not a dime of it that this church will keep,” Payne said.
On the evening of Oct. 30 and the morning of Oct. 31 youth and other church members will sleep in boxes. Each will be able to bring a pillow and a sleeping bag; how they construct their box is up to them, Payne said.
“We will feed them soup that night and then breakfast in the morning,” Payne said. “They have to sleep outside. They can go inside to potty but that’s it. ... I have done this for a number of years and I’ve been outside when it’s been in the 20s and let me tell you, it’s cold.”
Payne said he anticipates 30 to 40 students and adults will participate in this year’s event.
“I’m very excited,” he said. “We did this a couple of years ago and we had seven or eight participate and we gave the money to the men’s shelter here to replace the floor.”
To donate to the cause, call the church at 342-8830.
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