Prairie students plan ‘sleep out’ in support of homeless students, families

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At the end of September, 83 Battle Ground Public Schools’ students were on the district’s “homeless students” list, an increase from 45 at this same time last year.

By the end of the 2011-2012 school year there had been 201 homeless students in the district. To generate support for the homeless, members of Prairie High School’s Key Club will sleep out on the school grounds the night of Thurs.-Fri., Oct. 4-5. Their shelter will be large cardboard boxes, just like the homeless sometimes use.



The students’ goal is to raise money, food, blankets, kitchen items, paper products and more for the SHARE homeless shelters, said student Lana Ferris, Key Club president. Key Club is an affiliate of the Battle Ground Kiwanis Club.

The sleep-over is only for Prairie High School students and will cap a week-long collection at the school. Ferris said the general public is encouraged to participate by donating items to any of the SHARE shelters, open seven days a week, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. There are three area SHARE shelters – Share Orchards Inn, 5609 NE 102nd Ave., Vancouver; Share Homestead, 4921 NE Hazel Dell Ave., Vancouver; and Share House, 1115 W. 13th St., Vancouver. Monetary donations can be made online at www.sharevancouver.org.