The university’s HFH chapter held the overnight Sleep Out on Oct. 18 and 19, according to a press release. The annual fall event helped raise money on a patio adjacent to the school’s 63’s dining hall on its Fairfield campus, according to the release.
"There was nothing traditional about this camp-out: cardboard boxes for shelters, a deejay spinning tunes, a dance instructor teaching Salsa and relay races," representatives said in the release. "For that matter, the campsite, outside a café, was not very remote either. But the Habitat for Humanity Sleep Out sure did create some good old fun while raising funds to help families without their own adequate shelters."
All participants and about 300 chapter members were required to send out 10 donation request letters to friends and family, with a mission of raising funds for the local affiliate, HFH of Coastal Fairfield County, according to the release.
“Fund-raising is a requirement of chapter membership,” said Taylor Filanowski, the campus chapter’s student vice president, in the release. “We do that through this event, but also all year with projects like collecting money and canned food at Stop & Shop, selling clothing and developing restaurant partnerships. But donation letters are key and are distributed constantly.”
Every spring break, 100 campus chapter members "get the opportunity to travel to select destinations to help HFH on the ground," according to the release. The groups head to five destinations and this spring students will head to the states of Washington, West Virginia, South Carolina, Florida and Texas.
“Participants on the trips will do everything from renovation to new construction, guided by team leaders with contractor experience,” said Filanowski in the release.
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