Why Cayde Cronan is Sleeping Outside

I’m sleeping outside for one night because homelessness isn’t just sleeping on a sidewalk. I've experienced it myself and it's a daunting thing. It's couch surfing, it's staying in shelters, it's feeling isolated, and worrying about where your next meal is going to come from, it's relying on the generosity of other people just to keep trekking along. I’ve taken part in the sleepouts before~ my first time doing it, I actually was unhoused. I know that one night outside can never fully replicate what it feels like to live with that uncertainty day after day. When this night is over, I’ll have somewhere to go. I’ll be able to return to the safety and stability that I’m fortunate to have today. But I also know what it means to wonder where you’re going to sleep tomorrow and that’s why this matters to me personally. I’m participating because I can empathize with the young people Youth Unlimited supports. I understand how quickly circumstances can become unstable, and how important it is to have someone step in early, way before temporary housing insecurity becomes chronic homelessness, and before vulnerability opens the door to addiction, exploitation, poverty, or other risks. I’m sleeping outside to raise awareness, to raise funds, and to help make sure vulnerable youth have access to the support, stability, and opportunities they deserve. The tradeoff is one uncomfortable sleep for me equals a lifetime of opportunity for somebody else, and i'd do this over and over again in a heartbeat!!