you can learn a lot from one night on the streets

One UC San Diego student, Shanelle Sherlin, got a glimpse of what it is like to live life on the streets and the eye-opening experience helped her learn the power of giving. The Muir College sophmore spent 12 hours in the streets of downtown San Diego where she dug through trash cans, collected bottles, begged for money and interviewed other homeless people, all for an art project designed to help people

“I came up with the idea to pretend to be homeless so that I could learn to relate to them and humanize the indigent,” she said. “Before I thought most homeless people where alcoholics or drug addicts, but I learned that wasn’t the case for many of the people I met. One man I talked to lost everything after he was disabled from a car accident.”

Sherlin’s project was for a UC San Diego visual arts class. She donned old clothes and said she was surprised at how people ignored her or gave her dirty looks. “It was a very humbling experience,” she said. “Most people just walked by, and if I did try to approach someone, they would tell me they didn’t have time to talk.”

Sherlin lived on the streets and collected $27 worth of bottles Nov. 28 and the next day went back to the same neighborhood to feed and interview homeless people. “The homeless people I talked to were just so thankful that I talked to them and gave them attention,” she said. “I think, especially during the holidays, people should think about helping those who are less fortunate than us.”

To read more about Sherlin's story go here.