For five days, Paul Aulakh will be without a home, money or food. And if he wants to eat, he'll have to beg.
Aulakh is one of eight students at the University of B.C. who are spending five long nights outside this week to raise money for charity and raise awareness about Vancouver's homeless problem.
"That's going to be one of the hardest things," said Aulakh, calling the experience of asking for money "humbling."
It's the first year UBC students have joined a three-year-old national campaign called Five Days Homeless that started at the University of Alberta.
Since then, it's spread to schools across Canada.
"It's made me start thinking about when I have passed those people by, and pretend that they weren't there, and pretended that they're not even a person," he said.
The eight students have raised nearly $3,000 -- their original goal -- and are now aiming for $5,000 and matching corporate sponsorships.
The money will go to Covenant House, an organization that provides shelter, food, and counselling to young people who live on the street, said organizer Naveen Dosanjh.
"We thought it would be difficult to recruit people to volunteer for this, because it is so extreme and a week-long event, but it was actually really easy," she said. "All the participants signed up right away."
Students still have to go to school, without bathing or changing clothes all week.
"No showers," said Aulakh. "By the time Friday comes around, we're going to be smelling really nice. I don't know if our friends are going to want to sit beside us any more."
With a report from CTV British Columbia's St. John Alexander
