Students about to learn an uncomfortable lesson

The night of Oct. 7 will likely be a long one for more than 100 students from École secondaire catholique Champlain.

That night, 105 students and four staff members from the Chelmsford high school, as well as four elementary school students, will take part in the Homeless for a Night event.

This awareness activity, with the theme “A Helping Hand for a Better Tomorrow,” will begin at 4 p.m. at the Métro supermarket parking lot located on Errington Street in Chelmsford. The staff and students will be spending the night in the parking lot, wrapping up at 9 a.m. the next day.

With only cardboard boxes and tarps as shelters, the students will get a glimpse of what the city’s homeless population experiences every day. They will also collect non-perishable food items and monetary donations for local charities.

Monetary donations will be used to purchase winter clothing for less fortunate families in the community.