Sleeping in solidarity: Colo. Springs pastor sleeps outside to raise awareness for the unhoused

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - It's an annual exercise in compassion and it's not just about raising awareness. It's about doing something tangible to be apart of the solution to homelessness.

A local associate pastor is sleeping in solidarity with the unhoused for the next five nights.

Michele Reckel, apart of the People's Church in downtown, began preparing for her camp-out on Thursday night.

All she'll have is a tent with a sleeping bag inside; a luxury she says that most homeless around town don't have. But by doing this, she hopes to bring more awareness to our most vulnerable population.

Reckel has dedicated her life to serving those with less, "These are the ones that fall through the cracks. They have mental illness or they have a lot of problems where they cannot stay still or they tend to disrupt the shelters. So, I understand why they can't stay there. And it's just really heart breaking to see what we see on a regular basis."

While she see's the struggle on a regular basis, she'll be living it until Christmas morning.

This is her second year sleeping in solidarity. Last year, Reckel got pneumonia from the freezing temperatures, but tells me it was all worth it, "Even though I ended up getting sick, I felt like, thank you, Lord. I was able to help a lot of the homeless. You know, we collected so many things."

Things like warm clothes, sleeping bags, tents, canned food and money; all items she's hoping to receive again this year.

"Just come on by and somebody will come to your car if you don't want to get out of your car. We're taking snacks, socks, underwear, things like that to help someone survive in the cold elements," Reckel said.

While she sleeps in her tent each night, she'll be out in the day time hours to distribute the items to those in need.

You can stop by the People's Church on Conejos Street at anytime to give what you can. The church is just south of America The Beautiful Park.