You might be wondering why I will be sleeping outside on the cold, hard ground for a night.  I am doing it to give a voice to the countless numbers of families in our community that are forced to do so on a nightly basis.  Imagine waking up one morning, looking into your children's eyes, and telling them, "tonight, we have to sleep in the park."  Many families are on the verge of homelessness, and it only takes a missed day of work, a landlord raising rent, or an illness to tip the scale.  I believe that all parents and their children deserve a safe place to sleep and hope for a brighter future.  I will sleep out on March 31st to show my solidarity for families experiencing homelessness, raise awareness of this crisis in our communities, and raise funds to support the mission and programs of Dawning Family Services.

Dawning Family Services has served Tampa and Hillsborough County for over 41 years, providing shelter and services to families with children who are touched by homelessness. The need is great. Family homelessness in Hillsborough County has risen by 20% in the last two years. In Florida, 6,000 families face homelessness every night. Your donations will help Dawning Family Services provide prevention services for families at risk of losing their homes, emergency shelter, permanent housing, and career services. Please donate today.