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GHS
students were creative in preparing for the evening’s
work building their cardboard cities.
While all had their ideas on the
type of city they wanted, Jacob Pickett was more concerned
about making
sure his suit of armor was ready to “defend” their territory.
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Box City 2013
GHS students
sleep in “boxes” for annual awareness event
By Bob Robinson
Twenty-three Greenville High School students built four “hobo cities”
for the GHS Key Club’s annual Box City event Saturday. While the teens
couldn’t resist making the most of their creative opportunity, the
purpose of the event was serious.
“Throughout the course of the evening,” said Key Club member Erica
Waller, “there are discussions about the homeless.
“Most teens think that every homeless person is a drug addict who made
the choice to be homeless. While some certainly are, most homeless
people are actually abused women who fled in the night with their
children and the clothes on their backs.”
This year, participants heard from Sharon Fellers, director of the
Grace Resurrection Community Center. GRCC is a collaboration of 22
Christian churches that provides food and clothing to the homeless, and
where possible shelter referrals. Later in the evening the students had
another session regarding “homeless facts.”
In addition to getting boxes and other building materials for their
“cities,” teens also brought food and clothing to be donated for the
homeless. This year their donations will go to GRCC.
While some arrived later, most registered between 5 and 6 p.m. They
left the next morning at 9 a.m. after tearing down the “cities” they’d
built. The cardboard boxes were broken down and given to GHS for
recycling.
Sarah Herzog, president of the Key Club, said she and Darpan Kaur, Key
Club International Div. 3 Lt. Gov., have been working on the event for
over a month and a half.
“The biggest challenge was getting enough boxes,” she said. She thanked
Marlise McCallister at Hansbargers Home Solutions for providing most of
the boxes they needed.
Herzog said that all students participated in preparing for the event,
helping to make it a success for the third year in a row.
“Many of these kids are NHS (National Honor Society) students,” she
said. “They have volunteer hours they need to meet.” She added that a
few of the participants were there just because they wanted to be a
part of it.
In a message to Susi Halley, secretary for Kiwanis of Greenville, the
sponsor organization for the Key Club, Waller noted that the purpose of
Box City was to raise awareness about the homeless in the community and
in general, while also having fun with friends.
The evening’s activities included a Trash Can Race and a strange game
called “Pree.” Herzog laughed, saying it is “hilarious! You’d have to
see it!” Also included were awards for Box City creativity, pizza and
other snacks, movies and, of course, sleeping in a cardboard box…
“Though it is very uncomfortable to sleep in a box for a night,” Waller
said, “it helps to drive home the idea that there are people in this
very community doing that every day.”
Reprinted courtesy
of The Early Bird
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Dylan
Hoover wanted to be dressed appropriately for the evening, as was noted
by Key Club President Sarah Herzog.
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