Students fight homelessness in Central Minnesota

Social work students are putting their time, talents and creativity into Project 325 in 320, an effort to raise awareness about homelessness in the St. Cloud area.

Students have raised more than $3,600 for homeless populations in the city through bake sales, Valentine’s chocolate roses and cookies sales, a silent auction, penny wars and a laundry quarter project.

The students also collected small totes or drawstring bags for the United Way’s Project Homeless Connect event March 19, which provided homeless individuals with a bag or box of basic necessities as well as access to government, non-profit and other agency services.

Thirty social work students spent the day volunteering at Project Homeless Connect to help introduce homeless people to the various services.

Social work students make chocolate roses to sell in a fundraiser for their Project 325 in 320, an effort to raise awareness about homelessness in the St. Cloud area.

In addition to bags and totes, the students collected supplies such as protein bars, fruit rollups and items such as shampoo, deodorant, combs, soap and other toiletries for the event.

Project 325 in 320 is a collaboration between the United Way and the social work department at St. Cloud State. The name of the organization comes from the 325 youths who experienced homelessness in Central Minnesota in 2014.

The effort began in January 2014, when a social work student attended a United Way Homelessness Solutions Team meeting in place of professor Sheila Moriarty.

“When she was there, all of the community service providers began interacting with her about how students could be more involved with fighting homelessness,” Moriarty said. “She brought that energy back to her cohort, and the students decided to work together to do a rally and march.”

The students recruited about 100 people to march in April in awareness of homeless youth.

The United Way’s Christine Midthun supported the students throughout the process and the organization sponsored the project by providing resources and serving as the group’s fiscal host, but students have led the effort.

“Some of these students have contributed huge amounts of time, energy and their own resources,” Moriarty said. “… These are students on limited budgets who are not getting class credit for this work. None of this would be possible without their energy.

At a silent auction the group held in late February, Moriarty said she met three people from the St. Cloud State community who shared their experiences with homelessness.

“We want to continue to get the word out that homelessness exists in this community,” she said. “… It is amazing how many people have stories to tell.”

Most of the funds they’ve raised are going to the United Way to provide resources for people experiencing homelessness. Funds raised for Laundry Love goes to the St. Cloud Coalition for Homeless Men, who meet with homeless people every two weeks to wash and dry clothes.

Members of the Coalition for Homeless Men created Laundry Love after meeting with homeless men and asking them what they need.

People are homeless for a variety of reasons, and homeless people have a constant struggle to secure food, housing and other basic needs.

“Homelessness is a growing problem in the St. Cloud area,” Moriarty said. “… We have to find ways to help people pick themselves up when things go wrong.”

St. Cloud State students’ efforts to raise awareness about homelessness go back to April 2013 when Lisa Heinrich’s public relations campaigns class worked with the United Way on an awareness effort to break down stereotypes related to hunger and homelessness. The students wore black T-shirts around campus to bring awareness to homeless children in the St. Cloud School District and collected donations for the United Way.