The third annual Cardboard Box City held Aug. 16 by St. Anselm Parish, Wayside, gave seventh- through 10th-graders the opportunity to learn firsthand what homeless people feel when sleeping outdoors.
Beginning at 6 p.m., the youth built overnight shelters out of cardboard in the church parking lot.
Previously open only to junior high students, this year, high school students of the parish took a more active leadership role. Evening activities included a flashlight scavenger hunt, making blessing bags, an outdoor movie, crafts and games. Speaker Kimberly Cole from Navicore Solutions, who is an elected member of the Monmouth County Executive Homeless Committee, spoke about homelessness with the teens.