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Covenant House opts for virtual sleep out event to discuss homelessness

An Atlanta business executive tries to keep warm during the Covenant House Georgia Executive Sleepout last week. More than 160 sleepers braved the 30-degree temperatures to raise $897,000, which will go toward programs, services and housing to support Atlanta’s homeless youth. CONTRIBUTED BY TRACI KRUGER / TRALYNNPHOTOGRAPHY

An Atlanta business executive tries to keep warm during the Covenant House Georgia Executive Sleepout last week. More than 160 sleepers braved the 30-degree temperatures to raise $897,000, which will go toward programs, services and housing to support Atlanta’s homeless youth. CONTRIBUTED BY TRACI KRUGER / TRALYNNPHOTOGRAPHY

By Raisa Habersham

April 23, 2020

Atlanta-based Covenant House Georgia is hosting a virtual Sleep Out event, encouraging residents to sleep in their backyards to raise awareness for homelessness.

Residents would typically sleep on city streets to raise awareness, but the coronavirus pandemic has kept many people in their homes for the past month.

The event coincides with group’s national Sleep Out efforts on Friday, according to a news release. The annual effort is intended to educate people about the 4.2 million young people who experience homelessness.

Participants are encouraged to sleep out in their backyards and forgo blankets for the night or inside their homes with the heater shut off. They can also share their experience online using the hashtags #chsleepout and #sleepoutamerica.

More on the virtual event can be found on Covenant House Georgia's website.

In other news:

Georgia’s coronavirus death toll stands at 872 Thursday, nearly 100 more deaths than state officials reported at the start of the week.

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