Students Gather to Fight Homelessness

By Kate Dario '20
November 13, 2019

On November 8, the community of Cretin-Derham Hall gathered to raise awareness for
homelessness with the Night to Fight Homelessness. This event is a collaboration with other LaSallian schools such as DeLaSalle, Totino-Grace, Benilde-St. Margaret’s and Holy Family. We asked for $15 for admission to support Catholic Charities Youth Homelessness program and another $10 for a shirt.

Every year, a different school hosts the Night to Fight Homelessness, and this year it landed at Cretin-Derham Hall. In the past, there has been snow and extremely cold weather. This year it was a little under 30° F, so doable but something I wouldn’t want to do every night.

This event is organized by the LaSallian Youth. During the weeks leading up to Night to Fight, we organized who was doing prayer, music, chose a speaker to talk about homelessness, and planned games.

The night of the event, the LaSallian youth met at 7 pm to set up our own tents, and make signs for other people coming. When the clock struck 9 pm the Holy Family bus arrived. We greeted them and helped them put up their tents outside. Girls were on the left field and guys in center field. When tents were up and people were cold, we came inside with 75 other students to eat soup such as chili, chicken wild rice, and Mr. Tony Leseman '01’s famous taco soup.

Our speaker, Mr. Mark Sexton '95, works at Catholic Charities Hope Street shelter. He talked to the group about what it is like to be homelessness as a teen (based on what he has learned) from kids he’s met. Mr. Vetch and Mr. Joe Miley '11, played some games with the kids, having me play music to some of the games. And when it was midnight, they sent us all outside to go to bed. We woke up to music of High School Musical. We had to pack up before we could go inside for a donut and hot chocolate.

We said a prayer and took many photos, courtesy of Mr. Gleich. Then, the Cretin-Derham Hall
students stayed back to help clean up the Field House and went on our way by 7 am.

Thank you to our CDH LaSallians and staff who participated in our Night to Fight Homelessness: Olivia Amann, Paige Bullis †, Will Burke, Samantha Burrows, Anna Caruso, Avery Cavanaugh, Peter Countryman, Ryan Courtney, Ben Craighead, Kate Dario, Megan Delsing, Natalie Diekmann, Ben Hobbs, Liliana Hummel, Cal Johns, Keegan Kelly, Isabel Korzilius, Valerie Krinke, Mary Kae Kuenster, Joseph Leroux, Teddy Muetzel, Margaret Musolf, Allison Naber, Harry Olander, Jackson Parker, Anna Rice, Ella Richards, Elizabeth Rosemark, Allison Sowatzka, Tanner Sterling, Adam Stomberg, Charlie Strain, Ben Stringer, Matteo Veglia, Lily Wood, Ms.Morgan Lieske, Mr. Jesse Cusick, Mr. Joe Miley, and Mr. Peter Gleich.