Participants in the One Winter Night Outdoor Challenge will spend a night in the cold while fundraising to support homeless individuals in their community.

URBANA, Ill. (WAND) — Would you spend a winter night outside to help raise awareness about homelessness in your community? 

C-U at Home is a mentoring and coaching organization that provides housing for homeless individuals. On Friday, participants in the One Winter Night Outdoor Challenge will spend a night in the cold while fundraising to support homeless individuals in their community.

Cedar King, Director of Recovery Support at C-U at Home, explained that the Outdoor Challenge is in itself an act of advocacy. 

"Spending the night outside, either in a cardboard box or in a tent or in a vehicle — what we're doing is we're making an obvious visual statement," King said. "What we're saying is, 'Guess what? These people are not invisible.'"

A big part of One Winter Night is the fundraising aspect. Participants in the Outdoor Challenge pledge to raise $1,000, which goes towards C-U at Home to help continue funding their programs. 

C-U at Home helps its clients get back on their feet and prepare them for success. They learn how to budget, apply to jobs, stay sober and take care of their physical and mental health. Clients are helped get access to vital resources like therapy and counseling.

Elizabeth Campbell has been a client at C-U at Home for the last two and a half years. She said even through the stigma, she has come so far. 

"People just assume the homeless are bad people. But they don't realize it could be any of us," Campbell explained. 

Since becoming a client at C-U at Home, she is in recovery for addiction, attends therapy and counseling, has a part-time job and is currently enrolled as a student at Parkland College.

"I would never be able to do that if I didn't have a safe spot to heal and grow in. I can't imagine what it would be like to be out on my own trying to go to school, trying to, you know, stick with recovery," Campbell said.

Campbell said she has been able to grow thanks to the support around her.

"Even when there's days I wanna give up or something, they're there to cheer me on," she said.

If you are interested in One Winter Night, you can sign up or donate online.

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