it’s thursday night and i can’t believe that it has been almost a week since we were homeless for our last night. and i just can’t believe that in less than a week what we did last week already feels like years ago! i am at a lost for words with all of this, but i will say this one and last thing. 5 Days of my life happened and in those 5 Days my life was changed forever.

colin.

so in terms of blogging, i missed yesterday, but in terms of experiences, i totally gained yesterday. today was interesting, we were poorly represented in the grant macewan newspaper. and i understand that sometimes things like this happen and all we can do is smile and joke about it, but it is sometimes a tough pill to swallow when the words you are quoted as saying aren’t your words, were never your words, and will never be your words (unless being joked about). all else aside, we’re getting closer to our goal locally, we’ve had to up our national goal, and to everyone who is a part of this i am so proud of us as we just keep making this event bigger!

so for all of you people out there who are doing this, you’ve done an amazing job not just in raising the funds, but also in raising awareness for homelessness! i would like to repeat what i have been saying and what we have been saying and doing this whole time to all of the people out there who don’t get it yet…

we are not homeless! we’re are not pretending to be homeless! what we are doing is taking some of the factors that the homeless community face and applying them to our everyday lives for five days to raise money and awareness on this issue of homelessness and youth homelessness.

so on that note, this is our last night. we’re all anxious for our beds and our showers, but of course, going to miss each other and our time together. but even though these five days are done, we still have lifetimes of friendships ahead of us! and it’s so awesome to see that from one decision in each of our lives, we’ve all become so close.

i’d like to give props (mad-props) to pete smith for getting me on board. and i’d like to thank everyone on our homeless team for being a part of this and changing MY life and the lives of so many others! you guys rock…and of course…to godfather Frank!

colin.

These past few days have been pretty phenomenal for me. Its day 4 and in Edmonton we’ve generated over $23,000 and a HUGE amount of awareness. I’m not much for words but it has been an absolute pleasure to be apart of this and thanks to all those who share and who have made it an reality.

Pete

In the words of Jeremy Fisher - “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything”

It was a privilege for both my daughter and I to have participated in this event with each and every one of you.

 Leo LeibelPresidentTime Line Construction

Hello everyone,

I am not even really sure where to start or how it all happened. For the last 4 days I have been constantly blown away by so many aspects of the campaign this year. Since day 1 when Clark and I slept outside with the participants to kick off this year’s event I am amazed several times a day at the generosity, passion, commitment and emotional level of the campaign.

The generosity, both here in Edmonton and across the country is truly inspirational. I have watched countless students donate everything from the spare change in their pockets to the bills in their wallets. Yesterday we raised over 65 dollars in dimes on the U of A campus. I was never so thankful for those cool little coin roller things  J  (that’s for you Pete) It doesn’t stop here as there are several posts a day from across the country regarding the same thing.

The commitment from everyone across the nation has inspired me. The help that we have received from students and professors, from sponsors, from media and from the organizing committees is incredible. Sometimes I think that the organizers here in Edmonton are just as tired as the participants and I am sure that it is true in other places as well. Thank-you to all who have shown us your high level of commitment.

Passion. I think I could write a novel about the passion and enthusiasm that I have witnessed this year. I see it everyday in the local participants and I wish I could fly around to every city to witness it across the country. As I have told my local Edmonton guys and gals several times in the last few days – if you’re not havin’ fun – then change somethin’. I truly believe it is due to the passion everyone has shown that we are having fun – even during the “tough” times. (which from the sounds of all the blogs are usually at night J  )

I think each year that 5 days has run, I have learned something new. Some years more than others. This is one of those years where I have truly gained knowledge about other people and why they do what they do. A few nights ago the local team had hit a bit of a tough spot and we gathered in a room to have a chat. It was one of those low moments during any campaign where we needed to come together as a team. As a family. We sat and talked for a few hours. Sometimes we laughed. Sometimes we almost cried. We left the room feeling great. The next evening (last night) one of our sponsors came to sleep a night outside. He decided to bring his teenage daughter with him. This night we all sat in a room and talked about why we had all become involved. Each person brought something to the table to teach the group. It was great. At the end we wandered out into the hallway to prepare to go outside. (I spent the night out as I had promised the sponsor that I would) Colin looked at me and joked “we need to stop all this heavy stuff – I feel like my soul is turned upside down …” Fair enough. I wanted to have that talk because I felt that there truly was something that everyone could learn from one another. I would have regretted not doing that for the rest of my life. Thank-you to the 9 other people in the room. You each remind me why we started this. (and don’t worry – Colin always has fun J  ) Tonight our dean (Mike Percy) will spend the night outside. I applaud him. Thank-you Mike. Not only for this but also for all your support over the first 3 years.

I want to say thank-you to all those who have gotten involved. And to those who have taken the time to post the blogs. I am humbled and amazed (all at the same time) by the thought that a small event I helped create a few years back, became what it is today.

I want to say thank-you once again to all our sponsors both here in Edmonton and across the country. You guys are great and I hope that we can continue this for years to come.

I hope that we all remember that just because the campaign is over tomorrow doesn’t mean that we have to stop talking to each other about important things. Thank-you to all that have become involved and I hope that we can continue our bond into the future. Locally and Nationally.  See you next year …

Cheers,

Frank

p.s. To my boys Clark and Robbie. Love ya. I hope you have kept up with all the amazing things that have happened this year. Talk soon.

Last night was the coldest night we’ve had yet. I woke up shaking pretty hard. We slept right in front of the main door to the School of Business. We were begging for money really hard today. It’s funny to see the mixed reactions from the public. Some people are so scared of the confrontation. Some of the people we asked for money would turn their head so far in the other direction they weren’t even watching where they were walking. Other people are so happy to help once they know what were doing. I think it’s important to keep in mind how much easier the begging is for us, as opposed to an actual homeless person. People give us money because they know it’s a great cause, they smile because of our intentions are noble. homeless people don’t get that, they receive money from pity not respect.

I’m tired and cranky today. I can’t stay awake in my class, I’m certainly not retaining information like I usually do.

I’m weak, tired and sore. I’m so luck this is only for five days.

Ross

As i write this blog i am drinking my fifth (donated) coffee of the day! i’m soo tired that i’m not even tired anymore. i’m finding it really hard to concentrate on my schoolwork! Last night was pretty cold and i think tonight will be too!! luckily i have a sweet group so things are always entertaining! Thank you mandey, marian ,leah and amanda and mama and papa for coming to see me today and for the donations!!

What an awesome night! As a guest participant – I work in the School of Business in Career Services – last night was my only night sleeping out. The deal I have made is that I will not avail myself of anything the students don’t have access from 5 pm yesterday to 5pm today. Basically be 24 hours homeless and I still work. I have to say that while I am so tired, dirty and feeling pretty scummy today, I would do it again in a heartbeat. The students have been so welcoming and thankful of my willingness to join them but after last night I feel as though I should be thanking them for the opportunity.

It’s funny because I wasn’t honestly at all worried about the cold or sleeping on the ground – I’m done a done of backwoods camping and even some winter survival training. Plus it wasn’t horrid cold last night in Edmonton.  We just had a really chilly wind. I recall thinking “Oh this isn’t so bad. It’s like camping.” But then it hit me that with camping you get to go home when you are done or when it is cold or crappy and being homelessness just doesn’t work like that. I only have to tough it out for 24 hours, the students have three more days and that is still nothing compared to what a real homeless person faces.

The most amazing insight though was how little this really was about being outside. It wasn’t the cold that kept me awake. It was the incredible feeling of vulnerability. Even though staying on campus is darned safe relatively speaking, I kept startling awake feeling like someone was looking over me or worrying that someone would steal my shoes. It was  very odd and terribly disorienting. I felt so small and vulnerable. It was quite the insight to see how it is not just the elements that wear you down but the lack of proper, peaceful rest and the lack of feeling secure.

Another very interesting moment for me was when I walked into the office this morning and everyone asked where we had been sleeping. Somehow every person I work with walked right past our crew of seven on the way to work and didn’t see us - even though we were right across from the main entrance to the Business Building. The comment was “I guess I didn’t see you.” To me it makes quite a clear statement about how invisible the homeless truly are to most people. And they even knew we were out there. Makes me wonder how often my eyes simply have not registered the people in need around me. Very humbling.

So here I am at work trying to be a functional Career Educator  - tired, SO achy, feeling scungy and dirty and honestly having a dreadful time focusing on work. But despite all of that, I am filled with joy and bursting with pride at the dedication of the students. I feel honoured to have been able to share this endeavor with such amazing young people and grateful to have seen the world in this way even for one night.

I wish all the participants across Canada the best of luck with the rest of the week. After one night with you, I truly wish I could be there with you for the rest of the week because sharing this experience with you and helping serve such an incredible cause has truly changed my world.

It feels like we’ve been at it for a week already. I’m finding it really hard to focus on school when I am so committed to 5 days. I should be doing my homework right now, but writing a blog seems soo much more worthwhile. Last night we slept on cement at GMAC. A stranger dropped off an emergency blanket at night and when we awoke in the morning, a bag filled with water, mouth wash, granola bars and a cash donation was laying at our side….

A lady we were in contact with today mentioned how at our age, she was homeless here in Edmonton. She hadn’t any idea about shelters and soup kitchens and considered homelessness a prison and a “death sentence” of sorts. I hope that through our efforts and your support, we are able to guide others, just like her, out of the hardship and struggle in order to find new light.

I’d love to take this time to talk about what we’ve learned as participants in this campaign. We just finished a heart to heart and all of us have had our highs and lows. Ultimately, we all feel extremely blessed to be part of this campaign. Regardless of how much money is raised, we are changing lives and as Frank, our “Godfather” figure and founder of 5 days keeps reminding us, one cannot put a price to changing a life. As Colin shared “we are part of something soo powerful that fuses us together, heck Ross sings us asleep at night”. So thank-you for all the support, it’s amazing to think of how much hope you have offered to the thousands of youth that pass through YESS’s front doors every year.

Taisa

We really have had a lot of deep talks these last couple hours. Either I’m getting more exhausted or more emotional. Which ever it is I’m really proud to be a part of this.

Today my mom drove up from Lethbridge just to see me and give our group some food. I’m so stoked to be able to do things like this that make my parents proud. Its things like this that form people to be who they will become.

I’m honoured