College students, social service groups and community members are planning to sleep outside Friday night in Ashland to raise awareness about the number of people who are homeless in the city.
Northland College Junior Zachary Peterson said he and other students organized the event to get people working together.
“We just have to team up and tackle this issue because no one can do it alone.”
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Bill Vienneau agrees. He founded a group called Ashland Cares last fall. Since then, Vienneau said they’ve been handing out food, water and blankets to the homeless. He said they recently became a nonprofit with the goal of raising $225,000 to buy a building.
“Our main purpose is to be a homeless shelter,” Vienneau said. “You know, provide housing in that shelter, provide meals.”
The Northwest Wisconsin Community Services Agency encountered 550 people who were homeless or at risk for becoming homeless in Ashland last year.
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