December 1, 2005
A UMC.org Feature
By Julie Price

Bright stars pierce the crisp autumn nights of Minneapolis – great sleeping weather for most residents of this northern city. Casey Robbins, 16, a member of Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church downtown, is learning firsthand that the cold nights are not so pleasant for the city's homeless.

And she wants others to care as much as she does.

From Sept. 15 to Christmas Eve, Casey will spend "100 Nights Outside" to raise funds for the church's Dignity Center, which provides assistance to those needing shelter, transportation, clothing, food and employment. Pledges have come in various forms, some for a certain amount for each night she spends outside, including one pledge giving bonuses for nights dropping below certain temperatures. Several people, including her church youth group, have accepted her challenge to join her for a night.

Casey's family moved to Minnesota from New York City last year when her father, the Rev. Bruce Robbins, former top staff executive of the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, became Hennepin Avenue's lead pastor. She has always been raised to be aware of social justice issues, and has participated in many mission opportunities.

Her current interest in the homeless was inspired by the example of Bob Fisher of Wayzata, Minn., who spoke at her school last year. Since 1996, Fisher has spent many cold nights outdoors to raise awareness and money for the homeless. Casey tested her own endurance by spending three weeks last winter sleeping in a tent on her roof.

"Now that I think I know what I'm in for-at least I hope I do-I decided to do it again, and this time to raise awareness and money," Casey said. "It's cold getting up early, even in September. I get up at 6 a.m. in order to get ready for school, but that's the time that a lot of people in shelters have to be up and go outside."

Sometimes the nights are quiet, but other times her sleep is interrupted by drunken songsters, traffic and storms. One particularly windy storm picked up the wooden platform on which her tent is pitched and carried it several yards across the roof. Now several sandbags keep her platform weighted down.

Casey is documenting her experiences in a blog at http://www.haumc.org/2005-CampCasey2.asp, which also includes information on how to contribute to her effort.

Sleeping outdoors has increased her compassion for those who have no bed. In turn, she's grown more grateful for simple blessings. "I knew I would miss my bed, so I tried to appreciate it as much as I could before I started sleeping outside," she said. "But I could never appreciate it as much as I do now. I get in bed to do my homework in the afternoon."

Kristen Twitchell, youth director at Hennepin Avenue, said she has been impressed by Casey's courage and adaptability.

"She's a youth who's not confined to what it means to be an average teenager," Twitchell said. "She's better traveled than most adults I know, and she's not afraid to get out there and live life. She has a huge heart for social justice, to initiate something like this of her own accord."

"Casey clearly sees the outreach of the church as an important and vital part of its ministry and is very intentional about her participation in it," said the Rev. Robbins. "People have been quite captivated by the idea and the fact that she's actually doing it. Some people are very emotional and overwhelmed about it. It always floors Casey when they remark on her courage. For her, it's a matter-of-fact adventure for a good cause. And the Dignity Center recipients are fascinated, and very grateful for her contributions to their resources."

An accomplished young woman with a wide variety of interests and skills, including fencing, violin, and classical Greek and Latin, Casey is also accustomed to helping those in need. In addition to volunteering at the Dignity Center, the summer of 2005 found her in Africa with her family, while her father attended a World Council of Churches conference in Egypt. After climbing Mount Kilimanjaro with him, Casey spent two weeks alone in Nairobi, Kenya, volunteering at the pharmacy of a Coptic (Egyptian Orthodox) AIDS hospital.

She also participated in a medical campaign in rural Kenya helping to administer AIDS and malaria tests to people who had no other way to receive medical attention. This experience showed her that "raising awareness is not enough. Money is required too. I had to see it to know it. It's nice to help people in Africa, but there are problems right here in Minnesota. We need to do what we can where we are."

This young, middle-class American teen has observed more suffering around the world than most of her peers. Why has homelessness attracted her energy? For her, the answer is simple.

"I saw it as something that I could do something about."

United Methodist News Service
Julie Price is the editorial assistant for the Minnesota Annual Conference Office of Communications.