Dozens of Simon Fraser University students spent 24 hours on the streets with little more than a sleeping bag.

They camped at the Vancouver Art Gallery on March 12 to raise money for Covenant House, while drawing attention to homeless youth.

"We're pretty similar to the youth on the streets, it's just that they are under more unfortunate circumstances than we are," said SFU student and Burnaby resident Joanne Leung.

SFU students organized the No Home campaign in collaboration with the Covenant House, a group that helps homeless youth with food, shelter and outreach support.

More than 15,000 youth are reported as runaways each year, and about 1,000 end up on the streets on any given night, according to the campaign organizers.

As for the sleeping conditions, Leung said it was cold, wet and windy, and the students huddled together to stay warm.

"(But) it went really well. We had an overwhelming amount of support from strangers," she said. "A lot of homeless youth came by who actually used Covenant House and its services and thanked us for our work, which was really meaningful."

The 24-hour camp raised about $480, which is part of a larger SFU fundraising drive that's brought in nearly $7,500 for Covenant House.

Leung said the experience was eye-opening.

"All of our participants had a warm bed to look forward to after the 24 hours and a warm meal. We've all learned to not take these things for granted and to respect youth on the streets," she said.

For more information and photos of the event, go to www.nohome.ca.

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