Dozens of people spent the night outdoors in Menomonie to help homeless children and increase awareness of homelessness worldwide.
“We’re sleeping outside to raise awareness for the children who sleep outside every night,” said Lizie Hunt, co-founder of Zoe Now.
Pastor Steven Keller from Love Church in Menomonie added, “The heart and hope of this event is to raise funds and awareness for homeless kids in Uganda. We’re here, sleeping overnight in the parking lot to bring attention to this issue.”
The event, called AWAKE, aims to awaken people’s hearts to the global homeless population. Participants donated money by pledging to spend the night outdoors, with the proceeds benefiting the nonprofit organization Zoe Now.
“Zoe Now is a nonprofit organization that operates worldwide. We assist children who are broken, forgotten, and lonely by providing financial and spiritual support,” explained Hunt.
This isn’t the first time Zoe Now has spent the night outside. The initial experience took place on a cold November night in 2021. Robert Hunt, co-founder of Zoe Now, recalled, “It was 13 degrees that night, with just six of us out there. It was challenging to get any sleep, giving us a more realistic understanding of what it’s like to be outside, facing the elements.”