Dear ,
From October 2nd to 9th, I will join my fellow Binghamton University students at
Sukkah Survivor, where I will take up the challenge of sleeping outdoors to raise money
in support of The Center for Self-Sufficiency of the Broome County Council of
Churches, which provides services and support to homeless individuals in Binghamton,
NY.
Optional Paragraph: [ The sleepout will occur during the Jewish festival of
Sukkot, which commemorates the 40 years the Israelites spent traveling through the
desert after the exodus from Egypt. During Sukkot, it is customary for Jews to eat, sleep,
and entertain guests in a Sukkah, a temporary structure reminiscent of the huts in which
the wandering Israelites dwelt. Given the themes of the holiday and its coincidence with
the first chills of autumn, the Jewish community at BU has taken Sukkot as an opportunity
to invite the greater Binghamton community to turn their thoughts and actions towards
those in Binghamton for whom sleeping outside is not a cause for celebration. ]
The Center for Self-Sufficiency, a new project by the Broome County Council of
Churches, will provide transitional housing to homeless individuals designed to move
people into gainful employment and permanent housing. The Center for Self-Sufficiency
is set to open November 1, and will provide everything necessary for the homeless
shelter: daily operations, cleaning, supervision, equipment, staff and volunteers,
administration, paperwork necessary for guests/clients, and all necessary transportation
and trucks.
This is the first time that Binghamton University is organizing Sukkah Survivor,
and our participants want to raise several thousand dollars to support this sheltering
program in Binghamton. In focusing on transitional housing this year, we recognize the
steps necessary to fight homelessness in our community. Sukkah Survivor has committed
to being a significant source of funding for The Center for Self-Sufficiency, and to do so,
we need your help. I will be sleeping out for ______ nights. To donate in my honor,
please visit www.hillelatbinghamton.org.
All funds will be collected by Binghamton University Hillel and then donated to
the The Center for Self-Sufficiency. 100% of the money raised by the Sukkah Survivor
will be donated to The Center for Self-Sufficiency. Your donation can make a big
difference for the Binghamton homeless community. Thank you for your time and for
supporting Sukkah Survivor, and my personal commitment to this cause.
Sincerely,