In an effort to raise awareness on the rising problem of homeless people in the City of Cambridge, one local youth church group will be camping outside in the cold on Friday. This time however, their camping experience will be a bit more serious, with no hot chocolate, campfire songs, roasted marshmallows, and the like.

There won’t even be any tents for this group of teenagers; they’re camping out in a totally different way.

Kicking off at 6 in the evening on Friday, youths from around Cambridge will be putting up cardboard boxes right outside the Maranatha Christian Reformed Church. From 6 p.m. to 6 in the morning the next day, those cardboard boxes will be their home throughout the night. What’s more, these kids won’t have any heaters to make them feel more comfortable. All they will have are sleeping bags and the shirts on their backs.

Though it may be a bit extreme for some teenagers, the youth group thinks it’s the best way to spread awareness on the issue of homelessness. Experiencing how it would feel firsthand will also make them feel more appreciative of the blessings they have, one youth said.

Dina Zomer, the church youth group’s director, said it’ll be safe. She and a group of other church members will be watching over the kids and for those who might want to go home.