Latest news with #OneWinterNight
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
C-U at Home's annual event back for 13th year, supporting the homeless
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — C-U at Home's annual One Winter Night event came back for another year, and so did people to support the homeless. One Winter Night has been running for 13 years now in Champaign. It's an event organized by C-U at Home to help spread awareness about people dealing with homelessness. This year, hundreds rallied in support. 14th Annual Ice Bowl looking to raise money for food insecurity '[It's] just so humbling for me, honestly, to be part of this and to see how much again, this is a community that cares,' said Melissa Courtwright, C-U at Home Executive Director Courtwright said this is their biggest event of the year. It's created for people to come experience what it's like to sleep outside and doing it for one whole night. Organizers are hoping this is one of many ways people will be able to feel the challenges the homeless are faced with. 'We don't want to let this event die down,' said volunteer Randy Shannon. 'The numbers are down a little bit over the past few years, but we want to raise awareness and make sure people know what thus event is for.' WBGL hosting bed build day event Shannon and his crew have been supporting events like this for about eight years. He said it's always good to help, but specifically for One Winter Night, it means a lot more. 'We were box dwellers the first six [years], then the last couple we just committed to donate our time,' Shannon said. 'A few of our members were actually homeless at one time.' This year's goal for C-U at Home is to raise $135,000. As of Friday night, they were already beating last year's record with more than $70,000. 'This is a community that shows up for the most vulnerable people and that's just always very moving,' Courtwright said. She said if you're someone who wants to support but is not interested in sleeping outside, there are still other ways you can donate such as dropping off money at the door or participating in the silent auction. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
One Winter Night: 'Trying to raise awareness'
Feb. 7—Brody Keith's steady participation in C-U at Home's One Winter Night dates nearly a decade. There have been occasions when he spent his wedding anniversary — Feb. 3 — in a box in downtown Champaign "having a root beer and a sandwich from the Canteen Run instead of a nice dinner," he said. "I'm just trying to raise awareness for a very good cause. It's important to me." Keith and close to 100 others will sleep in tents, boxes and cars outside The Venue CU tonight as part of One Winter Night. Facility operations coordinator at Ubben Basketball Complex on the University of Illinois campus, the 44-year-old from Philo said a trip he took with his wife, Aleta, to New Orleans — "where there were homeless everywhere" — convinced the couple to get involved. One Winter Night, introduced in 2012, remains a major source of C-U at Home's budget.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘My life turned into a roller coaster ride': Champaign woman clean, educated and employed after help from non-profit
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The challenges of homelessness look a little different for anyone experiencing it, and it isn't always what you think it is. 'It could be your next-door neighbor, it could be anybody that winds up in that situation,' Nico Riffel, a participant at CU at Home, described. Champaign sister duo preparing to participate in 'One Winter Night' together In fact, she's a perfect example of just that. She never imagined living in transitional housing or experiencing homelessness herself, but with grit, help, and determination, she's turning her life around. 'I didn't experience homelessness until I was 40 years old. I owned a home, had a career, a Cadillac, the whole nine yards,' Riffel explained. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she lost her home and job, went through a divorce and struggled with addiction. 'My life turned into a roller coaster ride the last 10 years,' she described. After moving out of Chicago and getting comfortable in Champaign, she found CU at Home and enrolled in various programming options. In the past year, she has made big strides. 'I have gotten my license back that I haven't had in 13 years, I've gotten a truck, I have a part-time job, I'm enrolled at the U of I in the Odyssey program,' Riffel said. With the program, participants are enrolled in regular classes, working to earn four college credits for free. Raffle for U of I basketball tickets to benefit C-U at Home Riffel plans to graduate in May and wants to earn her commercial driver's license (CDL) after. That's not her only goal, she has also gotten involved in the community and discovered new passions through Prosperity Gardens. 'I had never gardened in my life,' she said. 'It turned out to be a big passion of mine, that I'll probably continue to do the rest of my life.' After working for one year, she has already been promoted to a manager position. Riffel is also living independently with the help of CU at Home and has re-established a relationship with her parents. In January, she also cleared her record and wrapped up a two-year probation case. After that, she was able to accept a job that she otherwise wouldn't have had. 'This program is near and dear to my heart and has completely changed my life for the better,' she said. She wants others to succeed, too, and feels the organization's 'One Winter Night' event can make that possible. 'Just to feel what it feels like to not have the comforts of home just for one night, sometimes is eye-opening,' Riffel described. One Winter Night starts Friday, Feb. 7th at 6 p.m. in Downtown Champaign near The Venue. 82 people have signed up, and the organization has raised $37,678. The goal is $135,000. To donate, sign up, or learn more information, visit this website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
