Vic Mensa has partnered with Covenant House Illinois to host the "Sleep Out: Chicago" fundraiser. Together, the duo is pushing to support the homeless community enduring the winter in the greater Chicago area. Through this event, Mensa and others will sleep outside to simulate what it is like to endure a cold night in Chicago.
“It’s bone-chillingly cold. It’s excruciatingly cold in Chicago in the wintertime, and people freeze to death,” Mensa said.
“I like the concept of a sleep out, because this is something that is an everyday reality for people. But for those of us with a home, you know, with a roof over our head, it's like a daunting challenge. It's a heavy ask. I asked a lot of my friends to do it, and they were not there,” he added. “Because to put yourself in these people's shoes for one night, you know how painful that can be.”
Alongside Mensa, Grammy winner Chance The Rapper has also encouraged his fans to donate to Covenant House Illinois in order to support the homeless population. He took to Twitter to let fans know about what Vic Mensa was working to do.
"Homeless youth. You’ve seen them, [but] you just didn’t know. Support Covenant House Illinois and help thousands of Chicago homeless youth move from the streets to success. Find out how you can donate and participate in 'Sleep Out: Chicago' at http://chicago.executivesleepout.org. I'm down," Chance The Rapper tweeted.
Homelessness in Chicago has continued to run rampant during the pandemic. More than 60% of the homelessness population in Chicago identifies as Black. As of 2018, nearly 77,000 people in Chicago experienced in homelessness. The proceeds from "Sleep Out: Chicago" will go towards supporting those 77,000 Chicagoans.
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