A cold night outside Mpls. church for a worthy cause

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http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/148338325.html

Article by: ROSE FRENCH , Star Tribune Updated: April 20, 2012 - 7:12 PM

The 19th-century English poet John Keats is credited with observing: "Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced." That sentiment is at the heart of an annual sleep-out organized by the Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation, a faith-based nonprofit committed to ending homelessness.

To raise awareness of youth homelessness, close to 400 teenagers planned to sleep outside Friday night in cardboard boxes in the parking lot of Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis as part of "A Night on the Street," a fundraising event organized by the foundation.

"It's one thing to understand the issue of homelessness in your head, and a whole other thing to feel it in the numbness of your toes," said Jenny Mason, who works at the foundation and organized the sleep-out. "They're understanding this at a visceral level."

During the event, which was to end at 8 a.m. Saturday, the teens -- representing 35 youth groups from Christian, Jewish and Muslim congregations in the Twin Cities and three school groups -- were to listen to speakers from service and advocacy groups serving homeless youth.


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