My parents dropped me off at the Glendale Church of Christ on Sept. 29 to spend the night sleeping in a box.

No, I was not being punished. Each year, dozens of people pay $10 to $15 to participate in this momentous event. This is my fourth year participating in Box City.

“Box City” is an annual event held to raise money and awareness for Family Promise of East San Fernando Valley, a community-wide program helping homeless families trying to get back on their feet. This event provokes a curiosity and attentiveness, and helps participants comprehend the struggles of fatherless kids and single mothers.

Every night 11,000 children in the San Fernando Valley have no place to call home. I see people on street corners all the time and I wanted to find some way to help.

Before Box City, I had never spent the night in a box, let alone in a church parking lot. I have always been fortunate enough to have a roof over my head, so this was a foreign experience.

To entertain us, there were activities in the afternoon that lasted about four hours. This year, they held a carnival and I volunteered to have wet sponges thrown at me. People came and prepared dinner for everyone who stayed overnight.

It was very exciting to see all of the different boxes people slept in. Some of the boxes were designed with incredibly creativity. This year, there was a box that looked exactly like an arcade. Awards were presented to the top three boxes.

Participants of Box City collect donations from people that they know and give the money to the Family Promise of East San Fernando Valley. The participant who collected the most pledges received four tickets to Disneyland.

As the night grew dark and cold, it became harder to fall asleep. There was a lot of excitement because of the thrill that came along with sleeping in a somewhat unusual place.

I helped take care of a very active and excited 9-year-old girl. She finally fell asleep around 4 a.m. Unfortunately, by that point it was too early in the morning for me to even try to fall asleep.

I learned a lot from this experience. It made me feel more grateful for what I have.  I cannot even imagine what it would be like to live like this, night after night, never knowing what will happen next.

Participating in Box City makes me feel that, even though I am a teenager, I can help make a difference so people in need can able to receive the help they need.