Dozens of young professionals from across metro Detroit braved the weather to sleep outside Friday night, raising awareness for homeless youth.
It was part of the Young Professional Sleepout benefiting Covenant House Michigan. With a goal of $60,000, the 50 participants surpassed that goal, raising $69,050 for the organization.
Covenant House Michigan helps homeless youth in metro Detroit by giving them a place to sleep every night. The organization also helps get them jobs, provides food and clothes, teaches them how to save money and more.
Since their opening in 1997, they have helped over 60,000 youths.
During the event, the participants arrived and had dinner, before getting a tour of the Covenant House Michigan grounds on Detroit's west side, and then having a group table discussion with several of the youth staying at the shelter.
Around 11 p.m., they grabbed their boxes, sleeping bags, blankets and more and set up on the basketball court for the sleepout. Temperatures dipped into the low 20s overnight and frost could be seen on several of the boxes.
After waking up around 6 a.m., the participants were treated to breakfast and a moment of reflection before heading off with a new understanding of what the homeless youth at Covenant House Michigan had experienced in their past.
The sleepout was part of nationwide effort to raise money for Covenant House with young professional sleepouts happening in several other states.
