Where and how you sleep is up to you! We understand our supporters have varied levels of comfort. You can sleep in places like a tent, sleeping bag, or your car, some of the ways our street homeless do when they are without shelter. Others may opt for their porch, garage floor, or parking lot of their school or place of worship (with permission). You can participate alone or in socially-distanced groups. It’s open to every one of all ages - families, individuals, faith and school groups, sports teams, the scouts, and businesses!
100% of the proceeds go towards the Shelter Programs & Services at Homeless Solutions. This means every dollar you raise will help provide a warm, safe place for homeless men, women, and families to rebuild their lives. There a many reasons that bring homeless people to our doors, sometimes they can no longer afford rent despite working three low-wage jobs and get evicted, others are struggling to recover physically and financially from a debilitating illness, or even worse they have been abandoned or abused by their partner, leaving them to care for children on their own without sufficient financial resources. Sleeping out and raising funds will make a difference!
By participating in this event, there’s a chance you will feel uncomfortable. You may feel unsure about familiar surroundings in the middle of the night or surprised by the temperature in early December. You will most likely be tired the following day, this is the struggle many homeless individuals face every day. We appreciate you giving up your comfort in support of your homeless neighbors in need.
Avoid sleeping directly on the ground; you can use something as simple as blankets or cardboard as a barrier between your body heat and the ground. Bring an extra pair of socks to change into right before you go to bed. Socks can be slightly damp from sweat if worn prior. Doing a physical activity like jumping jacks before bed will increase your body heat. Nothing too extreme as you don’t want to break a sweat. Wear a hat to bed, 6% of the body’s surface volume is on the head. A cold head can trigger the body to feel cold. Layer up: one of the simplest ways to stay warm is to layer dry clothing. Fleece and down layers can add a few extra degrees of heat.
You got this! We provide outreach templates to help with ideas but encourage you to include a short, personal note. It's helpful to share a personal story about why you want to be an advocate for homelessness and why you’re choosing to fundraise for Homeless Solutions.
Don’t be afraid to ask! Most people are happy to donate to a good cause and support your fundraising campaign. Think about everyone you know: friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues. Thank you for being a champion for Homeless Solutions and our community.
Yes! Go to the top, right side of your personal page, team page, and the homepage, there is a box that says "Invite a friend." We encourage you to build a team and experience A Night in the Cold together. If you can't be together that's okay, virtual teams are welcome!
The suggested fundraising minimum is $500 but aim high! We make it easy. Our Starter Kit will give you the tools and tips you need to reach your goal.
Yes! We want to show our appreciation to our fundraisers. Participants that raise $500 will receive an HSI winter scarf. [1 scarf per individual or team]. And, participants that meet the $1,000 level will receive a custom event sweatshirt [INDIVIDUALS that raise $1000+ receive 1 scarf and 1 sweatshirt. TEAMS that raise $1,000+ receive 1 sweatshirt for every $1,000 raised.
You can drop off or send those donations to our admin office. Please make sure you tell us your name and we will add that amount to your campaign.
Homeless Solutions
c/o Stephanie Cicale
3 Wing Drive, Suite 245
Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927
We are so grateful to our volunteers! There are many ways to get involved from cooking at the shelter to leading educational workshops for our participants, becoming a mentor, creating shelter room makeovers, planting in our garden, joining Special Event committees, hosting donation drives and more.
Please reach out to Event Manager at KathleenHumphrey@hsinj.org