Solidarity Sleep-Out at Davidson

On Monday, March 23rd, twenty-three members of the homeless community joined around fifty Davidson College Students in a solidarity sleepout. Food, stories, and laughter were shared in an educational and uplifiting evening.

Here is a portion of one account, written by Wendell Parham (for the full account, check out Wendell's blog at: http://charlotterefugee.blogspot.com/)

Spending the night camping out under the stars was not intended to force all involved to experience the hardship of having to survive the cold breeze that dipped below forty degrees this night. Nor was it to demonstrate the effects of hunger, with the catered Chinese food that greeted our arrival. The Solidarity Sleep Out was designed to bring awareness to homelessness by allowing students to interact with us trough conversation. That was the design, the reality develop into something a bit more complex.

We divided into smaller groups consisting of 3 or 4 of us from the homeless community to how ever many students would like to sit and speak with us. We each should speak at this moment and considering the silence appeared as hesitancy, I opened with my account of myself.I tell of my coming to Charlotte after 4 mediocre years in Raleigh ended with my unemployment and the loss of my apartment. That I would seek out a restart in a true city with large population and equal amounts of opportunity. I do fine Charlotte exciting and quick sought to develop myself into job and home, even though I arrived without even family here to assist. With an ID theft from Maryland attached to criminal activity, though small, still blocks all who check background from hiring me and presenting and even greater challenge to my struggle.

As I look around, I see bright eyes stare in anticipation of my next sentence that make me feel the grand story teller at the campfire. I stay up and talk past 11:30 talking ever more, which all who know me, is unheard of. Only turning in because I have an early day Tuesday. I still hear conversations continue as I struggle to sleep in the brisk cold. I finally do, only to awaken around 3 for the chill.

As I sit up to smoke, I notice John Behm, whom came over to speak to me several times beyond our group session in admiration of my efforts. I explain each time that life deals these hands over and over and he can do as I do. John humbly admits of the stereotype he expected to find and was happy to have met me instead. I express appreciation for the compliment. He said that he wish there was something he could give or do to help. I tell him that the homeless are often isolated in plain view and that friendship and gestures of simple kindness prove most valuable. That when I sat up for a cigarette and saw him over at a distance rolling out his sleeping bag to join in, it warmed my heart. I thanked him for showing he cared. We talk a few moments more and bid goodnight once again.

The next morning I could see we would depart before he would wake. I leave a message in chalk on the ground near where I slept, ‘Had a great time! Glad you were here!’

Once back in Charlotte, as I ride the bus to the main library Uptown I ask the young lady next to me if she was getting off at the next stop. She sneered at me as if how dare I speak to her. Oh, yeah, I’m carrying bags again. You would never know if not for the bags. Life return to the appearance of normal.