After Hurricane Sandy and the Nor’Easter , when millions of us were plunged into the dark and cold, it seems inconceivable that anyone would voluntarily give up their own warm bed and the comforts of home which we so easily—and often carelessly—take for granted, to sleep on one of New York’s hard concrete sidewalks with little more than a cardboard box and a sleeping bag.
But hundreds of business leaders, did just that on Nov. 15, when the mercury plunged to 35 degrees in the coldest part of the night, New York City traffic kept up its ceaseless drumbeat and street life in the wee hours was anything but comforting.
Among them was our BOMA/NY President, Louis J. Mantia, who slept at the corner of 41st Street and Tenth Avenue, and was one of 110 New York business leaders turned "Sleep Out" volunteers who made a bold statement—to stand with America’s 2 million homeless youth and show them they are not alone. He was joined at the intersection by Jeff Caimi, LEED AP, Property Manager of 1633 Broadway for Paramount Group, Inc. and John Galetta, President of Statewide Security and Surveillance. Also participating from BOMA/NY was Maureen Heneghan, CEO of Heneghan Construction Co., Inc., who helped the cause raise funds.
The "Sleep Out" event was sponsored by Covenant House, which reached out to business leaders in the US and Canada, to raise awareness that life on the streets is still a pressing problem in some of the world’s wealthiest economies. The Sleep Out got underway with a moving candlelight vigil in Times Square and by the 11 p.m., most of the business leaders were bundled down for the night. "it was extremely uncomfortable and trying to fall asleep was difficult," recounts Lou Mantia, with the noise from the Lincoln Tunnel, delivery trucks and rubbish refuse trucks "making you jump out o your skin all night long. As the night set in, the cold air seemed to follow and the last hour of sleep--from 5 to 6 a.m.--felt as if it lasted for hour. An eerie feeling came over me," he continued.
Children living on the street are almost always forgotten in the heated discussions of the day, but for the 2 million kids who never know where they can lay their heads peacefully or when they will get the next hot meal, it is the only life they know and one almost beyond our understanding. But after the Sleep Out, the message had been heard. Lou said "after the night ended, it made me appreciate what I have, and others don't." Jeff Caimi agreed, saying that the experience "left me grateful for the opportunities and guidance that I had growing up...and optimistic, having met a few of the Covenant House kids that are working toward better lives."
Beyond making this striking gesture of solidarity to bring attention to the problem of youth homelessness, our BOMA/NY "sleepers" helped raise more than $8,000 in funding at press time. These funds will go directly to Covenant House and help pay for its many programs that help youth find safety from the streets. While our BOMA/NY participants may be sleeping back home now, you can still contribute. View Lou's personal web site page at http://covhou.convio.net/site/TR?px=1586443&pg=personal&fr_id=1080&et=fMq_FEvk5L101F2w_sdfvg&s_tafid=2570
BOMA/NY
http://www.bomany.org/