Sleep Out Saturday, an annual event hosted by Bridge Communities to raise awareness and funds for families experiencing homelessness, will bring DuPage County residents together on Nov. 1 at College of DuPage (COD)’s Lakeside Pavilion, as they give up the comfort of their beds for one night.

Sleep Out Saturday challenges participants to spend one night in tents, boxes or cars to better understand the realities of homelessness through firsthand experience with sleeping without stable housing. The funds raised go directly to Bridge Communities’ Transitional Housing Program, which provides safe housing to over 100 families each year. They hope to raise $125,000 with the help of a matching grant from the Alicia Rasnic Memorial, a former Bridge Communities volunteer, which will match donations made after the first $20,000.  Margo Matthew, the senior development manager and Sleep Out Saturday producer, hopes participants learn the realities of homelessness.

“It’s a way to have others in the community realize and learn about the various issues that cause family homelessness,” Matthew said. “Such as low wages, not enough education, domestic violence and medical debt. Things like that, that happen to cause family homelessness.”

DuPage County is often viewed as one of Illinois’ most affluent areas. According to USAFacts, from 2019 to 2023, the county’s median household income sits around $110,500, about 35% higher than the state average. However, according to the United States Census, about 49.7% of renters are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on their housing. Matthew said homelessness is an underrecognized reality in suburban areas.

“In the suburbs, they are called the hidden homeless, and they are couch surfing and staying with family and friends,” Matthew said. “Not many of them go in and out of shelters but mostly stay with family, friends, or motels or their cars.”

Among those joining this year’s effort is College of DuPage student Maggie Haught, who is participating for the first time this year and has experienced homelessness. For Haught, the mental stress was just as challenging as the lack of shelter.

“I became homeless strictly because of my addiction, and it was a struggle not having a place to live, literally sleeping outside or finding some abandoned house to sneak into to sleep,” Haught said. “The day-by-day mental stress that it puts on you because you don’t have that stability, you’re always like, where am I going now?”

After turning her life around and finding stable housing, Haught is six years sober and now studies at COD to become a Certified Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor. She hopes to remind others that homelessness isn’t permanent.

“It doesn’t last forever if you don’t want it to,” Haught said. “Just keep striving for it for the good and make good decisions.”

While Haught’s journey involved overcoming addiction, she emphasized that not every person experiencing homelessness shares the same story. She also hopes participants view their situation with an open mind.

“I feel like people see the homeless and automatically think they’re a drug addict. I do feel like many aren’t addicted and are really trying to make it in life,” Haught said. “The more we offer a helping hand to a person in need, that’ll give them more of a light instead of looking at them with disgust.”

As the event nears, Matthew hopes participants take away more than just a memory of a cold night, she said. She wants them to carry forward an understanding of how powerful community support can be for families rebuilding their lives.

“Community members sleeping out in solidarity and support, and fundraising help for program services will literally transform their lives,” Matthew said. “Sometimes [Homeless people] feel like, why do you want to help me? But it’s just a way to see other human beings as supportive by providing them with a hopeful future.”

Community members can pick their own date to get involved between Oct. 25 and Dec. 6. For those unable to attend in person. Bridge Communities also offers a virtual participation option, allowing anyone to join the movement from home. To learn more or register, visit Sleep Out Saturday | Bridge Communities.

“We just want to build everybody up to learn about family homelessness and have a meaningful experience,” Matthew said.