KP
Kelvin Powell
  • General Studies
  • Bridgeport, CT

Eastern Student Kelvin Powell of Bridgeport Participates in "Shackathon"

2015 Oct 26

Eight members of the Eastern Connecticut State University chapter of Habitat for Humanity slept outdoors in cardboard boxes for the annual "Shackathon" on Oct. 20-21. The event challenged participants to spend a full day outside -- academic schedules permitting -- sleeping in the elements and only eating donated food. The shackathon aims to raise awareness of homelessness and substandard housing.

Among the participants was Kelvin Powell '17 of Bridgeport, who majors in Business Administration.

"I give so much credit to the homeless," said Kelvin Powell, president of Eastern's Habitat for Humanity chapter. "They face so many challenges on a day-to-day basis. The willpower, the mental fortitude; they are easily some of the strongest people."

Temperatures dipped into the low 20s during last year's shackathon. With warmer temperatures this time around, it was still a struggle for some shackathoners, who reported feeling claustrophobic in the boxes and waking up throughout the night due to rain and chills. With the cold season coming up and the challenges of finding food and shelter, club members acknowledged that "it's a hustle" for the homeless in the fall and winter seasons.

Club members who participate in shackathon get preference for Habitat's annual spring break trip, "Collegiate Challenge." This spring, 14 members will travel to Wilmington, NC, where they will spend the week building houses for those in need. The shackathon is also a fundraiser, with proceeds going to the Windham chapter of Habitat for Humanity. More than $350 were raised this year.