Jumbos for Nonprofits organized students for an overnight Res Quad event to support the Somerville Homeless Coalition
Tufts students were among those who spent the night on the Residential Quad as part of the Sleep Out. Emilia Rosinski, co-president of the Jumbos for Nonprofits student organization, noted, “Having it rain when I woke up helped bring me back to the intention of the event: to spread awareness and support for Somerville Housing Coalition’s most vulnerable clients.” Photo: Alonso Nichols
On Friday night, November 17, the Tufts student organization Jumbos for Nonprofits (JFN) collaborated with the Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC) to host Sleep Out 2023, an educational dialogue and fundraiser. Students joined SHC staff and formerly unhoused community members to spend the night on the Residential Quad on the Medford/Somerville campus, showing solidarity with those experiencing hunger and homelessness in our local community.
Emilia Rosinski, JFN co-president, said she woke up Saturday to the sound of rain on her tent. “The first thing I thought was, ‘The rain sounds so peaceful hitting the top of my tent.’ But the second thing that came to mind was that so many people experiencing homelessness don’t even have a tent with a tarp over it, protecting them from the rain, as I did. Having it rain when I woke up helped bring me back to the intention of the event: to spread awareness and support for SHC’s most vulnerable clients.”
Jumbos for Nonprofits allocates funding to local nonprofits while training future leaders in the process. JFN’s student members also organize service projects and speaker events and promote conversations about the social sector.
Michael Libby (at right), Somerville Homeless Coalition executive director, talks with Tufts students about the challenges of providing warm clothing, shelter, and community to unhoused people with the onset of cold weather. Photo: Alonso Nichols
During a training by staff from the Somerville Department of Human Services, a student reviews instructions for administering NARCAN, a nasal spray that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Photo: Alonso Nichols
Sarah Pillone, A24, and Calvin Zhao, senior program administrator at Tisch College, (both shown at far left) talk with staff from the Somerville Homeless Coalition. Photo: Alonso Nichols
Ava Testa, A26, and Emilia Rosinski, A24, co-presidents of Jumbos for Nonprofits, speak at the Sleep Out. Testa, far left, said of the event: “My main takeaway was the need for an increased awareness of what is beyond just our campus and lives at Tufts. As a student, there seems to often be a disconnect between those in Somerville and our campus life. I hope to continue to actively work to learn, outside of my classes, about what is happening locally and how I can be more engaged in the community.” Photo: Alonso Nichols
