Overview

• More than 70 mission and shelter CEOs are sitting publicly for 24 hours while livestreaming to invite open dialogue on homelessness, addiction, and mental health.
• Participants are hosting YouTube and Facebook streams so community members can stop by in person or submit questions online throughout the 24-hour window.
• Organizers emphasize that homelessness stems from complex, long-term factors such as addiction, mental illness, poverty, and joblessness, requiring individualized support rather than one-size-fits-all fixes.
• Local leaders highlight community engagement nationwide, with events in cities including Jacksonville, Houston, Omaha, Fort Wayne, Portland, Kansas City, and Colorado Springs, where some municipal officials joined conversations.
• Some sites pair awareness with action, such as Springs Rescue Mission’s 24-hour sit aimed at raising $24,000 to fund meals, shelter, and recovery services as colder weather approaches.