TAMPA, Fla. — Hundreds of Hillsborough County students spent a night outside to raise awareness about youth homelessness.
The county hosted the third annual “Camp Street Lights” overnight.
According to a county official, a point-in-time count earlier in the year found that over 3,000 Hillsborough County students had experienced homelessness in the past year.
Teens who took part told us they wanted to better understand the challenges faced by some of their neighbors.
“It really just was an experience to get to know the world around me, because everyone isn’t in the same situation that I am,” said Sydney Williams, a junior at Tampa Catholic High School. “So, doing it again this year, I really think, especially going into my junior year, I’m about to start all the real stuff – applying for colleges. I really think it is a good opportunity to just see how others live.”
The event also gave students a way to get involved. They collected thousands of food items that organizers say are heading to the shelves of Feeding Tampa Bay.
Watch the report above by Spectrum Bay News 9’s Sarah Blazonis.