Combating local homelessness: Charity event to benefit Lexington non-profits

By Jennifer Hilinski

With the current state of the economy, homelessness is becoming an even larger issue than it has been in the past. A local fundraising event is looking to help combat that statistic.

Sleepless in Lexington is a program designed to raise awareness and support for the nearly 1,400 homeless men and women living in the Lexington area, said Jimmy Carter, the teaching pastor at Northeast Christian Church. This benefit gives students the opportunity to improve the lives of those suffering in the community, as well as broaden their worldview, he said.

“For students like myself who spent too many sleepless nights in Lexington that added no value to anyone’s life, including my own, it at least gives the night owls a chance to make a difference in the community for a great cause, as well as the only opportunity to legally spend the night in the Legend’s outfield,” Carter said.

On Aug. 1, volunteers and participants will gather for a sleepover at Applebee’s Park in hopes of helping end homelessness. For one night, participants will experience what life is like for the less fortunate. To better identify with the homeless condition, sleepers have their choice of sleeping on cardboard, plastic sheeting or renting a cot. Creating awareness and an understanding of the homeless lifestyle can alter an individual’s outlook, Carter said.

“For many, there are no homeless men or women in the city of Lexington because we choose not to see them,” he said.  “We sometimes think we have to travel to foreign countries to find those who lack the basic necessities of life. However, an experience like this tends to wake us up to the reality of the areas in our community that we don’t like to talk about.”

Instead of turning a blind eye, UK students are encouraged to put themselves in an unfamiliar environment where their perception of the world is challenged.

“While it is easy to think of homelessness and poverty in the third world, we need to realize that we have not wiped it from our own lands as well,” said James Clifford, the volunteer coordinator at the Lexington Rescue Mission.

The Lexington Rescue Mission is one of eight non-profit organizations that benefits from Sleepless in Lexington and hopes to combat homelessness in the area.

“There is plenty of work to be done in their own backyards. One needn’t cross an ocean to confront poverty, only walk across the street,” Clifford said.

According to the event’s Web site, proceeds from Sleepless in Lexington support organizations dedicated to helping the homeless and the poor, including the Catholic Action Center, Lexington Rescue Mission, Lighthouse Ministries, Nathaniel Mission, Room in the Inn, Resource Office for Social Ministry, the Salvation Army and Step by Step.

The registration fee is $25 per sleeper, which counts toward the $55 fundraising goal minimum each participant must reach.

“By raising awareness alone, we hope that more people will take an interest in the non-profits that are making a difference in the lives of Lexington’s homeless,” Carter said.