Students experience the homeless life

March 18, 2014

From March 9 to 14, four HEC Montréal students took part in the 5 Days for the Homeless campaign and raised $3,650 for Dans la rue and Chez Doris. They are Dany Bouchard, Valérie Grenier-Paquette, Matthieu Nedelca and Charles-Antoine Saint-Hilaire.

The students took on the challenge of living the homeless life on the HEC Montréal campus for five days, as a way of raising funds to support homeless youth in Montreal. They were allowed to eat only donated food, had just a pillow and a sleeping bag, had to avoid any form of electronic personal communication (cell phones and computers) and, of course, had to sleep outdoors. They had no access to showers, but were still expected to attend their classes and complete their assignments.

Launched in 2005 by the University of Alberta’s School of Business, the 5 Days for the Homeless campaign went national in 2008. 26 Canadian universities participated in 2014. Over the years the campaign has raised more than $1 million in donations for charities across Canada. The HEC Montréal student association (AEHEC) took part for the seventh straight year. You can still support their efforts by making an online donation at 5days.ca/hec/faire-un-don/.

Matthieu Nedelca, Valérie Grenier-Paquette, Dany Bouchard and Charles-Antoine Saint-Hilaire.