First published May 2, 2020.
Will Smith and Dame Helen Mirren were announced as readers for a one-night fundraising event scheduled for December 2019 in order to help fight global homelessness, according to The Washington Post. On December 7th 2019, Smith had agreed to collaborate with The World’s Big Sleep Out, a campaign which seeks to raise money to end homelessness and displacement around the globe.
Aiming to raise $50 million, The World’s Big Sleep Out encourages people to join or organize a “sleep out” for one night in order to support several charities throughout the world.
The announcement said Smith would read bedtime stories in Times Square in New York City and Mirren will be doing hers in Trafalgar Square, London. Each location will feature live performances.
The sleepout is also planned in other major cities, including Chicago, Amsterdam, Madrid, and Los Angeles.
A hundred percent of the funds raised from the New York event was intended to go toward registered charities that help homeless and displaced people. International partners include UNICEF USA, Social Bite, Malala Fund, and The Institute of Global Homelessness.
A goal is different from a final total
The event described was scheduled for December 2019, before this article's 2020 publication. Its original future tense therefore needs correcting. The stated $50 million was a fundraising target, not an amount this account demonstrates was raised. Those distinctions keep the campaign's ambition visible without converting a promotional plan into a verified result.
Follow the work beyond the evening
Celebrity participation can draw attention, while the practical impact depends on what partner organisations receive and do with the funds. A useful follow-up looks for the campaign's own reporting and the work supported. Spending one night outside is also not equivalent to experiencing homelessness. The event is best understood as an awareness and fundraising activity, with the people affected remaining more than a backdrop to it.
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