5 Days for the Homeless
The culture at Prophix encourages us to contribute and give back to programs and organizations as chosen by Prophix employees. Recently, some of the team did something kind of cool – they slept outside (in winter in Canada!) overnight to raise money and awareness for the Notre Dame youth shelter in a campaign called “5 Days for the Homeless.”
5 Days for the Homeless is a national campaign in Canada where students sleep outside on campus to raise awareness about homelessness issues and to raise money for a local shelter.
Thirteen Prophix volunteers spent a day (and night) at McMaster University lending a helping hand to the 5 Days for the Homeless campaign. The volunteers spent the day educating students about the reality of youth homelessness in Hamilton and the programs offered by the Notre Dame youth shelter.
We asked some of the volunteers to tell us about their experience:
Kala Grant:
“I am proud to work for a company that cares about social issues. Not only do we raise money for great causes like 5 Days for the Homeless, but we have the opportunity to participate in volunteer days where we can actively get out into the community and educate others on ways to create equality in society.”
Zac Di Sabatino:
Thursday night was a lot colder and harder (literally, my back!) than I expected. Our aim of sleeping outside on campus was to raise awareness of youth homelessness in Hamilton and fundraiser for Notre Dame youth shelter. Having been involved in 5 Days for the Homeless for a few years, but never actually spending the night outside, it was a humbling privilege to be able to glean a toned down glimpse of the harsh reality of what being homeless in Canada is like. Unfortunately, this experience is not a choice, but rather the present reality, for over 700 youth in Hamilton. Notre Dame house takes a holistic approach to raising youth out of homelessness, teaching them life skills and preparing them to lead successful lives after the program. It has been critical for many kids that leave the foster system all alone and without support or anyone willing to help them.
It’s an honor to advocate for this cause, and I am thankful to work at a place like Prophix that supports and encourages focused community action like 5 Days. Thank you all for your financial support, your donations are making a difference in these young Canadians lives.
Marleigh White:
I am a Prophix employee of 4 years, I have a house, I have clean clothes, I have fresh food, I slept outside for those who don’t. It was a humbling experience to not only feel what it’s like to live on the streets with no money, food or shelter but also to interact with some of the at-risk street youth who visited our campaign site that night. They shared their stories with us, helped us to understand how they feel into their situation and how critical the programs at the Notre Dame Youth Shelter are. Yes we collected monetary donations during the campaign, yes we collected interview clothes and non-perishables and all of which will help ensure the Dame can offer it’s programs in the future, but in my opinion, the most important aspect of our involvement was that we had the opportunity to show a handful of impressionable kids that we care.
I am so thankful to work at a company like Prophix that has such a strong sense of corporate social responsibility.