This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.
For one night, comfort is traded for perspective.
On June 26, participants will gather at Oakwood Presbyterian Church in Patton Township, not for a typical community event, but to sleep in their cars, on floors or anywhere that is “anything but a bed.” The goal is simple and uncomfortable by design: to better understand what housing insecurity can feel like for families in Centre County.
The annual “Night in a Car” fundraiser, hosted by Bridge of Hope Centre County, returns for its fifth year with a new twist aimed at widening participation and deepening awareness.
“Night in a Car is a fundraiser that we’ve been doing,” said Tirzah Gibboney, executive director of Bridge of Hope Centre County. “And what we are doing is spending one night in our car in order to get just a taste of what it’s like for some families who may not have another option.”
Bridge of Hope, a national nonprofit founded more than 30 years ago, works specifically with single-parent families facing homelessness. The Centre County affiliate provides rental assistance, case management and a network of volunteers — often from local churches — who offer support that extends beyond financial help.
“We are working to end family homelessness for single parent families who are living in Centre County,” Gibboney said.
That mission is grounded in a reality that, for many, remains largely unseen.
“Sometimes we like to shine a light on the hidden homelessness that’s in Centre County,” she said. “And that includes people who may have to sleep in their cars but probably more often are sleeping on couches or in spare bedrooms.”
The event, which begins at 7 p.m. and runs through the morning of June 27, invites participants to embrace discomfort for a cause. In past years, that meant cold nights in March with temperatures dipping into the 40s and even snow or rain adding to the experience. This year, the move to summer brings a different challenge.
“We’re expecting it to be pretty hot or humid, a lot more bugs,” Gibboney said. “It’ll just present a different set of challenges.”
The new “Anything but a Bed” challenge expands the event beyond the parking lot. Participants who cannot attend in person can still take part by choosing an unconventional sleeping arrangement at home, whether that is a tent, a chair or the floor.
“It’s a way, I think, to bring in some people who may not be able to come to the event in person,” Gibboney said.
The experience is meant to be brief, but the insight can linger.
“You put yourself in an uncomfortable situation and then get up the next day and get on with life,” she said. “It’s pretty tough to do all those things when you’ve had a bad night of sleep, when you don’t have your own privacy and secure sleeping situation.”
Beyond the symbolic act of sleeping without a bed, the event includes programming designed to educate participants about the realities of housing insecurity. Former program participants share their stories and activities aim to level the playing field in understanding the barriers families face.
Those barriers are growing.
“Last year alone here in Centre County, we had more than 70 unique inquiries into our program,” Gibboney said. “That’s just people who filled out a form on our website saying that they needed help.”
That number does not include weekly phone calls or the broader strain on local shelters, which she said are often full year-round.
“There’s just not enough space here in Centre County for the people who actually do need help,” she said.
For Bridge of Hope, the need is especially urgent because the organization does not operate its own emergency shelter, meaning some families must be referred elsewhere even in moments of crisis.
Despite the weight of the work, Gibboney finds motivation in the outcomes.
She recalled a former participant named Kendra, a single mother who once faced homelessness and spoke at a previous “Night in a Car” event.
“She had said that even having a car to sleep in, she would have considered a luxury at one point,” Gibboney said.
Years later, Kendra invited Gibboney to attend her Penn State graduation.
“She went through our program. She was successful. She attained stability in employment and childcare and then was able to work on her education,” Gibboney said. “So she just graduated yesterday [May 10] and I got to be at that ceremony.”
Moments like that, she said, make the long nights and difficult conversations worth it.
For those who participate, the event ends not just with sunrise, but with reflection. Participants gather for breakfast and share what they experienced, what surprised them and what it might mean to carry that exhaustion into a full day of responsibilities.
“It’s really informative and eye opening the morning after,” Gibboney said.
In the end, the event is as much about community as it is about discomfort.
“It can be enjoyable and uncomfortable at the same time,” she said.
And in that space between the two, Centre County is invited to take a closer look at a problem that does not always announce itself but is always there.
For more information about the “Night in a car” event and Bridge of Hope, visit them at center.bridgeofhopeinc.org
