Sleep Out in Annapolis gives students a glimpse into homelessness

ANNAPOLIS — All was quiet during the early morning hours of Dec. 19 in the parking lot of St. Mary’s High School in Annapolis. While an evening storm kept 37 students from sleeping outside as planned, a propped-open door revealed the sight of slumbering bodies lying on the floor of a dark hallway in the school.

The storm forced organizers to shift plans during a Sleep Out, but the cold and damp conditions helped get the intended message about homelessness across to participating students.

“With open windows and open doors, I was surprised how quickly it got very cold in the hallway,” said Laura Tarnosky of St. Mary’s campus ministry. “The rain was disappointing, but we had an alternative.”

The high school students were participating in a Sleep Out, a fundraiser for Covenant House, a nonprofit that provides support for young people facing homelessness and survivors of trafficking. During a Sleep Out, students participate in various discussions and activities before sleeping outside for one night with only a sleeping bag – no pillows or air mattresses allowed.

“I did this 10 years ago when I was working at another school with coworkers,” Tarnosky said. “I wondered then if I could ever get students to do it.”

Though rain moved the event inside, St. Mary’s enclosed parking lot between the elementary and high schools provided a perfect location for the sleep out, Tarnosky said, as she could keep everyone close and on school property. As an extra safety measure, she informed the local police department about the event and requested a drive-by.

“The parents felt a little more comfortable,” Tarnosky said. 

Parents and staff members provided crockpots of soups and chilis for a lite supper, as well as pastries and juice for the morning. Discussion topics and activities provided by Covenant House had students reflecting on how they would react to different situations in the evening.

“We talked about a lot of stuff,” Ava Wellard, 17, a senior, said. “I didn’t think people, somebody my age, could be in this position.”

“This shows how lucky I am to have a home and a safe place to sleep,” agreed Leah Hamilton, 17, also a senior.

Matt Martelli, an English teacher at St. Mary’s, thought the event went well.

“It was very interesting and eye-opening … the talks, the sharing and the learning we did last night,” Martelli said, though he admitted his sleep was interrupted by a fox’s scream and the clanking of a flag pole.

As Tarnosky woke the teenagers at 6 a.m., the overwhelming comment was about a semi-truck that arrived at 3:30 a.m. with a food delivery.

Students said of the truck: “It was so loud!” 

“What if we had slept outside?” 

“Was there a garbage truck, too?”

The students were even more amazed to see several teachers arrive for the school day at 6:30 a.m., with one teacher playing country music videos in her classroom as the teens stumbled out of their sleeping bags. The students then got dressed in their uniforms to participate in a morning prayer and a recap of the event before being excused for the start of the school day.

“I’m challenging them to stay in school,” said Tarnosky, who purposefully chose Dec. 18 for the Sleep Out as the students had only one full day of school, followed by a half day, before two weeks of vacation.

While the students admitted in their morning discussion that their experience was quite different than being homeless as they were able to prepare for it and knew that it was for only one night, Tarnosky hopes the experience will help them stop and think.

“What can I do? What can we share?” Tarnosky said. “I hope they feel a little empowered – you can help young people on the streets.”

With each student participant donating $20, Tarnosky was able to give Covenant House $4,500 on behalf of St. Mary’s.

Email Katie V. Jones at kjones@CatholicReview.org

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