April 10, 2017

On Wednesday, April 12, starting at 4 p.m., students and staff from École secondaire catholique Franco-Ouest in Espanola will take part in the Sleep Out Challenge. During this 14-hour challenge event in the Giant Tiger Parking lot that concludes at 6 a.m. on April 13), students and staff will spend the night in cardboard boxes without the comfort of being in their own beds and reflect on what homelessness feels like. Members of the media are cordially invited to attend the event.

The Sleep Out Challenge event seeks to raise awareness among students and members of the community and bring them closer to the issues facing homeless youth. The Franco-Ouest students were moved by Joe Roberts’ visit to the community during his Push for Change campaign. They accepted his challenge to help him raise awareness on youth homelessness and make a difference in their community. Students also believe that every child deserves to know the comfort of a home.

Non-perishable food items will be collected on the night of the event and donated to the Helping Hand food bank. All funds raised during the evening will support The Upstream Project, a school-based youth homelessness prevention model, administered by Raising the Roof.  

The Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario offers a French Catholic Educational Program that is widely recognized for its excellence. The CSCNO provides a quality learning environment and academic program that runs from early childhood to adult education, with some 7,000 students in 27 elementary and 10 secondary schools.

INFO:

Paul de la Riva
Director of Communications and External Relations
Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario
(705) 673-5626, ext. 294
(705) 677-8195 – cell phone