Being outside in the cold with nowhere to call home is something no one wants to experience.
But students at St. Clair College bundled into sleeping bags and tents on Friday to raise awareness and funds for those experiencing homelessness along with the Windsor Residence for Young Men (WRYM).
Students from St. Clair College take part in the seventh annual Rough Night Out fundraiser for the Windsor Residence for Young Men on Feb. 8, 2025. (Dale Cabuquin/St. Clair College)
Students and faculty from many different schools, including Community and Justice Services, Border Services, Social Justice and Legal Studies, Police Foundations, Protection, Security and Investigation, Business Administration - Marketing and Business not only raised money for Rough Night Out, they also literally roughed it out in the cold weather overnight.
"I don't really take anything for granted, said Alysa Dumeah, President of the Community and Justice Services Club at St. Clair. "I think that this experience will open a lot of people up to homelessness and what it's like to show that you need to participate in the community more, spread awareness, and just participate in things that help others out."
Windsor Residence for Young Men invited the community to participate in Rough Night Out at St. Clair College on Feb. 8, 2025, in partnership with the Community and Justice Services program, as a powerful and eye-opening event to provide participants with a glimpse into the harsh realities faced by young people who do not have a safe place to call home.
By choosing to spend one-night mostly outdoors, participants not only raised funds but also fostered understanding and empathy for the challenges that many youths endure every day.
Kalie Dunlop, the President of WRYM's board of directors was at the event, along with the organization's administrative staff, and about 90 students from the various College programs.
"We're really hoping that tonight we're able to kind of let people realize the reality that our youth could be facing if we didn't exist," Dunlop said. "We are all about finding a safe place for young men to call home, to be able to leave the streets behind and really build those life skills, to be able to return to the community and really be able to contribute and just find a place for them to be home."
In total, students and sponsors from St. Clair were able to raise about $9,000 for the WRYM, directly supporting WRYM's mission to empower young men in Windsor-Essex County to achieve independence and stability. WRYM provides critical services, including transitional housing, life skills training, and community integration programs.
"This has been the best partnership that we've been able to develop for this event. This is the first time we've really been able to partner with the college," said Dunlop. "This is like double, triple the amount that we would have ever expected from the College. So, we're so excited, and we're really hoping to continue to build this partnership."
The Community and Justice Services program focuses on at-risk and high-risk client groups in both community and institutional settings. The nature of these environments and the diversity of clients demand a highly trained workforce able to intervene effectively using best practices to ensure the protection of the public and the safety of the community, staff, and clients.
The program is designed to prepare students for front-line careers in the justice system with attention to custody, risk assessment, case management, intervention strategies, and reintegration.
Program coordinator Melissa Kakuk said this event is an instance of experiential learning for students, who can build empathy and understanding into their work through this initiative.
"This is a really important cause within our community. So, this is something that we can do, to take action, and actually do something about it," said Kakuk. "For the students, it's important to be part of the community and to do volunteer work within the community, and the Community Studies programs in particular, that's good for students to be engaged."
While donations for Rough Night Out have already been collected, the Windsor Residence for Young Men accepts donations year-round through its website.
