Nonprofit raises awareness of homelessness

Group hosts annual Box City event at Heritage Park in SCV

A box has no granite counter tops, no hardwood floor. It has no stainless steel appliances, no custom shutters and certainly no swimming pool. While amenities beyond its four cardboard flaps may be sparse, a box is, for many, home.

More than 300 Santa Clarita residents flocked to Heritage Park on Saturday to take part in the eighth annual Box City fundraising event.

The event, hosted by local charity Family Promise, aimed to simulate the conditions which the valley’s homeless population faces by forcing participants to spend the night outdoors, on one of the park’s vast soccer fields, with only a cardboard box to use as shelter.

“The idea behind the event is to have people bring boxes or tents in order to simulate what it is like if you are homeless and that was the only place you had to stay,” said Family Promise Board President Laurie Ender.

The event, according to Ender, is an opportunity for family bonding and fun while still drawing awareness for an important cause.

“There’s live music, games, and a lot of fun,” she said.

Those who missed Box City, said Ender, can still play a vital role in working to end homelessness in the Santa Clarita Valley.

“Most people don’t realize how many homeless children and families there are in Santa Clarita,” Ender said. “(Box City) is a great way to reach people and communicate with them.”

Ryan Painter/The Signal Children play in their boxes, which they have decorated as Legos, at the eighth annual Box City event held in Valencia last weekend.

Ryan Painter/The Signal JT Evans works diligently on his box at Heritage Park in Valencia for Saturday’s Box City event.