Aurora 48 Hours in the Life: The Homeless Experience Project 3.0

 48 Hours in the Life: The Homeless Experience Project 3.0 2023 

Aurora’s immersive experience is positioned to raise awareness and needed funds for the organization’s work to prevent and end homelessness. 

EVANSVILLE – Over 350 men, women, children, and seniors experience homelessness in Evansville each year. At Aurora, our mission is “creating solutions to prevent and end homelessness in our community.” It is Aurora’s duty to not only serve the most vulnerable but to ensure that our community is aware, engaged, and activated to prevent and end homelessness here in Southwestern Indiana. 

November is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness month. Last year, Aurora hosted the second 48 Hours in the Life: The Homeless Experience Project 2.0. During that project, 13 community leaders and volunteers each received a unique backstory, along with a number of challenges and scenarios to navigate while living on the streets of Evansville for two days and nights. We found it to be the perfect time to shed light on the struggles our most vulnerable population experiences, so we will repeat the event this year November 16-18. 

Like last year, each of the participants will receive unique scenarios, backstories, and challenges that differ for each participant and designed to reflect experiences similar to those our clients face on a daily basis. 

The purpose of this event is three-fold: 

First, to raise awareness. This project will help our community and leaders gain at least a small perspective about our city’s most vulnerable people. Our planning team has no delusions that this immersive 48-hour experience will give the participants a full understanding of what it is those experiencing homelessness face every day. However, it is our intention to grow a greater community-wide understanding and compassion for people who struggle with barriers to housing. 

Second, to raise funds for the housing programs Aurora offers. Aurora serves as the lead homeless service agency in region 12 serving 10 counties in southwest Indiana. As a nonprofit, we rely on support from the public and special fundraising events in order to provide quality services to those experiencing homelessness in our community. 

Third, to lift up our community in support and the vital programs they provide. Ultimately, our case managers and social workers rely on the vast social service network in our community. We are successful because of the cooperation and coordination of each agency’s focused services. 

48 Hours in the Life will begin Thursday, November 16th at 9 AM. All participants will meet at Aurora where they will receive their instructions and then be immersed in the experience until Saturday, November 18th at 9 AM. 

The community leaders at this time are: Hope Fussner, Innovation Project Manager, Reckitt; Lateesa Johnson, Lead Peer Support Specialist, Southwestern Behavioral Health; Joe Gries, Administrator, Vanderburgh County Health Dept; Holly Bittner, Business Owner, Immaculate Cleaning by Holly Bittner LLC; Brid Igleheart, Retired Business Owner; Philip Hooper, Real Estate Broker, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Indiana Realty; Angela Fravel, 3rd Shift Team Lead, Southwestern Behavioral Health; Zach Zirkelbach, Chief Financial Officer, Ascension St. Vincent. 

To help raise awareness and funds, each participant will have their own crowdfunding web page where the public can make online donations on their behalf. Checks can also be sent to Aurora at 1001 Mary St., Evansville, IN 47710, Attn: Kim Armstrong. The participants are each challenged to raise $5000. 

Livestreams on Aurora’s Facebook page will also be available periodically through the event so participants can share their personal experiences with the public and help promote a better understanding of what life is like for many of our clients. The media is encouraged to use video and audio from those livestreams to supplement coverage. Additionally, we encourage interviews with our executive director, Zac Heronemus, and past participants to raise awareness of this year’s event in the days leading up to it. We respectfully ask you to refrain from following the participants during the event as a matter of safety for our clients and participants. 

A closing ceremony, that includes a news briefing, as well as participant testimonies and interview availability, will take place from 8:15-8:45 AM on Saturday, November 18 in Aurora’s parking lot at 1001 Mary Street. 

We also want to thank our project sponsor Moore Guitars and shelter sponsors German American Bank, Ascension St. Vincent, and Fifth Third Bank. Please stay tuned for the upcoming 48 Hours in the Life: The Homeless Experience Project 3.0. 

For more information or inquiries, please contact Zac Heronemus, Executive Director or Sophie Hancock, Marketing and Development for Aurora, as listed above. 

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