Cardboard City brings attention to plight of homeless population
By Steve Herring
Published in News on November 23, 2015 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Taylor Fussell, 12, tapes the outside while her friend Taylor Jordy, 13, works on the inside of their cardboard box home at the second annual Cardboard City at the Herman Park Center Saturday night.
The secret to building a cardboard house is duct tape -- the more the better.
But while youths like Madison Newby, 16, and Adam Jackson, 15, could joke about their dwelling for Saturday night's Cardboard City, they were quick to point out that the next day they would be able to return to the safety and comfort of their own homes and beds -- a luxury that the county's homeless population does not have.
The second annual Cardboard City held Saturday night at Herman Park was populated by close nearly 80 "citizens" whose goal was to focus attention on the homeless and needy.
It is also a fundraiser and last year raised $5,000 that was donated to the Community Crisis Center. The final tally for this past weekend was not available prior to press time this morning, but the money will go to the Four Day Movement that helps the homeless.
The concept is to help within four days of a request for help.
Rhonda Coakley, Cardboard City president and youth leader at St. Luke United Methodist Church, said the event is held to coincide with National Homelessness Awareness Week held on the week before Thanksgiving.
She got the idea from a youth she met on a mission trip to Atlanta several years ago who had chosen to sleep in a box in 5-degree weather in Minnesota.
"I was just amazed," she said. "Why would you do that? He said to raise money for the homeless. We started talking, and I started liking the idea more and more.
"Over the course of a year or so, I started thinking more about it. I had a lot of good help who wanted to come and help me, and we just decided to do it."
Goldsboro police provided overnight security. Between 7 and 10 p.m. the "citizens" ate and listened to music and motivational speakers.
They made bag lunches that were passed out to the needy following a Sunday morning pancake breakfast for anyone in community who needed a free breakfast.
They also made hygiene kits to pass out after breakfast and offered free haircuts.
"We are here to raise awareness for the homeless and the hungry," said Michelle Newby, one of the leaders for the 25-member St. Luke group. "This is milder. It was very cold last year. They are actually afraid of being too hot. We'll see.
"I think this year we are fighting off mostly rain. It is supposed to rain this evening so we are preparing for wetness. They have lined the bottom (to protect) from the wetness of the earth. They put plastic over the top. We thought we were not going to have enough cardboard homes so we resorted to a tent."
It is very important for the community to be aware and do what it can to support the community, she said.
"We didn't have to talk them (youths) into it, she said. "They have been looking forward to it. They are ready even with the forecast of rain. They are not backing out."
The secret to construction is a lot of duct tape, Madison said.
"You have to make sure that your ground is sturdy to keep your box up," she said. "Jesus calls us to be His hands and feet, and so I think that doing this definitely brings awareness to the homelessness that is in Goldsboro that a lot of people don't really realize is here.
"It's very brave for all of us to be out here, but I do think that it is awesome that Goldsboro does do something like this."
"We came last year," Adam said. "It was our first year doing it, and it was really fun. I was kind of scared to be in a cardboard box, like to sleep overnight."
Another lesson learned from last year was to bring more blankets, Madison said.
The group was prepared for the predicted rain as well.
"We brought tarps to put over our boxes in case it does rain, and I brought my rain jacket," Madison said.
"And shower curtain," Adam said.
"We came prepared," Madison said. "I think everybody should at least try it one year just to see how it feels and realize how blessed you really are to be able to have the house that you have and the bed that you have and to see how some people really do have it.
"It is rough for some people."
The Tanglewood Church of God at Kinston delegation of 20 leaders and youths, in sixth through eighth grade, built its own village
"We did a little miniature village," leader Emily Perry said. "We have a church, pet shop, pizza shop. We have a coffee shop. We have a police station and doughnut shop over there. We have a library and some houses. We even made a city limit sign.
"It is our first year, and we are pretty excited about it. We have had a lot of fun preparing for it and praying for it."
The cardboard church was complete with "stained glass" windows and a steeple.
Most of the group members started working on their houses about 7 p.m. Friday night -- some working until about midnight, she said.
"We had a student who, last year, was participating in a local studio for Dance for Christ," Mrs. Perry said. "Her dance studio came out and did Cardboard City.
"Our middle school pastor came out, saw what was going on and thought it was a great cause -- community service a way for us to get involved even though we are not in Kinston, but in the local community not too far away."
It provides a great awareness for the homeless and needs in the community, she said.