Madeleine Coles

Life Editor

Once a year, for the last 10 years, Caldwell Park has turned into a scene otherwise unique to Pocatello: a homeless camp. It’s a sight to behold in a city that is not exactly overrun with homelessness, which is due in large part to the Aid for Friends Shelter.

Aid for Friends is responsible, however, for this one night of cardboard boxes and barrel fires as it is the organization’s Homelessness Awareness Encampment.

This year is the 10th annual encampment, and it will be held from 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 4. The theme is “Hope Through Shelter,” and the goal is to increase awareness of homelessness while raising money for the shelter.

“It’s an event that does three things,” said Aid for Friends Executive Director B.J. Stensland. “The first part is to raise community awareness. It demonstrates in a very visual way what our community would look like without the homeless shelter. The second part is what it does for the participants. For 24 hours, we’re working together as a little community. It teaches us how to be interdependent on each other and provides survival training. The third part is that it’s the most incredible fundraiser ever.”

The fundraiser is a large community event, and multiple businesses and organizations will be contributing. It begins Saturday morning with the assembling of cardboard boxes donated by Pacific Recycling. There will then be a lunch provided by the LDS community where participants will receive their winter survival training.

After that, they will build the camp, start the fire and eat a dinner provided by a local Boy Scout troup before proceeding to the Presbyterian church to listen to a performance by Putnam Together. During the intermission, ISU student Craig Lathen will give a presentation of a project he put together about homelessness. 

After returning to the camp, participants are free to go to bed whenever they wish. In the morning a hot breakfast will be provided by McDonald’s before the takedown of the overnight community.

And according to Stensland, it really is a community.

“What I love watching from year to year is how our community builds,” Stensland said. 

She elaborated that many of the cardboard boxes are placed together to increase structural integrity, forming what Stensland called a “condo.”

However, many people choose to set up their boxes separate, and there are often separate groups participating together. This creates neighborhoods and urban areas – a tiny community of its own.

Stensland said she hopes the little community formed by the event can continue to grow over the years.

“One year I had an intern from ISU, and he was also a veteran. He decorated his box and had signs about veteran homelessness,” she said. “And I envision one day having little communities, maybe ISU nursing, maybe a church, having their own little neighborhoods.”

Last year the encampment raised $13,103.

The goal this year is $15,000, which Stensland said she believes is realistic.

Money for the event is raised by pledges gained from participants.

They can ask others if they would like to join them in spending the night in a cardboard box or sponsor them if not.

“Some will go to a business and get pledges, but it can be friends, family, neighbors, co-workers. It comes from everyone,” Stensland said.

Anyone is welcome to come to the encampment, even if they won’t be spending the night.

“If you just want to come out and have a cup of coffee, listen to music and stand around the fire, the community is welcome to do that,” Stensland said.