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Students to experience homeless feeling at Cardboard City

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By Richard O Jones, Staff Writer 7:16 PM Monday, November 23, 2009

TRENTON — Students at Edgewood High School are going to get a taste of what it’s like to be homeless — at least for one night.

More than 100 students will be camping out on campus tonight in the fourth annual Cardboard City, the culmination of a poverty awareness program and fundraiser for low-income families in the district, according to faculty advisor Kelly Warner.

“We asked the students to collect money for a sponsorship, and each one had to collect $75 to participate,” Warner said. “Some of them raised over $1,000.”

So far, more than $15,000 has been raised for the project, which will come to fruition after school today, Nov. 24, when Cardboard City emerges on the school’s lawn, regardless of weather conditions.

Cardboard City will be made realistic by having students be involved in such events as digging through trash for food and other necessities, being able to get food from a soup kitchen and staying in an actual cardboard box with no other protection from the elements.

The money will be used to help low income families in the Edgewood community with donations of clothes, food, utility payments and Christmas gifts.

Community members are encouraged to witness Cardboard City between 7 and 8:30 p.m. and receive statistics on poverty in Butler County, as well as use the event as a learning experience for their children and give a donation in support of the event.

Major business donors are Selection.com, Butler Tech, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Edgewood FFA Alumni and Edgewood Student Council.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2188 or rjones@coxohio.com.

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