At the end of Chancellor’s Walk and along Wagoner Hall’s front lawn stood a simulated shantytown created from Lowe’s cardboard boxes and plastic, blue tarps. Members of the UNC Wilmington chapter of Alpha Tau Omega slept in these boxes from Sept. 28 to Oct. 1 to raise money and awareness for homelessness within the local community.

“[The fundraiser] creates a lot of awareness,” said Jordan Shear, a UNCW Sophomore and ATO member. “Everyone has to see [the shantytown] when they come to Wag.”

Every year, ATO collects at least 1,700 pounds of non-perishable food and 1,000 articles of clothing for the Good Shepherd Center in downtown Wilmington.

ATO philanthropy chair Deryk Dionne explained the impact of the fundraiser.

“We started [the fundraiser] six years ago. This year, we’ve made t-shirts for $20 a piece,” Dionne said. “So far, we raised $3, 200.”

ATO member and UNCW senior Robert Markus sat on a blue-tattered couch that the fraternity found on a curbside when they were on their way to the fundraiser.

“Some of the members sleep on [the couch], while everyone else sleeps in boxes,” Markus said.

On Sept. 29, it rained. The fraternity was forced to wrap plastic wrap around their tarp to keep dry from the precipitation while they slept.

“Last year, we huddled for warmth,” Dionne said. “This year, we’ve moved the fundraiser forward.”

In January 2013, North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness (NCCEH) conducted a Point-in-Time Count, reporting about 338 homeless people in Pender, Brunswick and New Hanover County shelters in a single night.

ATO President Ryan Sutton said the fraternity would have the final count of donations by Oct. 15.

“From my [initial] estimate, it looks like we will be taking about 1,200 pounds of goods and $1,750 with us to the Good Shepherd Center,” Sutton said.

According to the organization’s website, the Good Shepherd Center serves more than 900 individuals through the day shelter and provides over 85,000 hot meals over the course of a year.

“We’re raising money and donations for the homeless,” Dionne said. “We want to raise awareness.”