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North Branch Area Middle School (NBAMS) students Sami Klein and Hannah Mayne spoke to the North Branch Rotary Club describing the Sleep-In-A-Box fundraiser, designed to raise funds and awareness of homelessness and highlight why it is an important issue. Sleep-In-A-Box is a service learning project that is part of the "Stand Up. Speak Out. Lend a Hand" initiative in conjunction with with the Klein Foundation and high schools across the country. NBAMS students is the only middle school participating in the initiative. As part of their participation eighth graders chose "Sleep-In-A-Box." Seventh and eighth grade students are paying $13 to sleep outside, tonight (Thurs., April 21), on the middle school lawn.

Students designed a T-shirt to wear promoting the event, and designed the logo, "Kids Aren't Helpless. We Can Help the Homeless." The North Branch Rotary generously gave the students $360 to cover the cost of the shirts. County Market is donating plastic bowls and spoons for the soup line during the sleep-over, and students will bring vegetables for the soup.

Funds raised from Sleep-In-A-Box with be donated to New Pathways, Inc., which helps homeless families in the greater North Branch area.

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