On May 18 in Livermore, 260 people participated in an event called 24 In Your Car. Many actually slept in their cars overnight . . . voluntarily! Why? To raise money and awareness of homeless women and children in our community, many of whom are forced to sleep in their cars to survive. Sometimes women and their children can live in their cars for months before anyone in the neighborhood sees their struggle. And what a struggle it is! One participant, Stephanie, came with her two daughters, age 7 and 8. “They didn’t realize how hard it would be to brush their teeth, and they didn’t like using port-a-potties! They did like the idea of experiencing what a homeless person has to go through.” The need is great, but thanks to the many friends and volunteers at Shepherd’s Gate, more women will have a safe place to sleep tonight. Together, we raised nearly $50,000 to provide healing and safety to desperate women and children in need. We’re so grateful to everyone who participated! Did you join us for 24IYC? We’d absolutely love to hear about your experience in the comments section below!