At the tent city on Champlain College's Burlington campus, you'll always find L.L. Bean and Coleman, but that's it when the rest of the inhabitants have to go to class.
A few hours later, freshman Kayla Hedman and a handful of students settled in for their third night outdoors.
"I have a great idea of what it's like to be homeless," said Hedman.
But we wondered if that is really possible when you choose to live in a tent city surrounded by the comforts of home.
About a mile away, we talked with some people at the Burlington Emergency Shelter who know what it's like to be homeless.
"What they don't see is the brokenness in people who are hurting, the people that are addicted," said Deborah Ballard who now works at the shelter.
These well intentioned tent cities also don't give college kids a realistic view of the people who are homeless.
"They're not bad people, they're just misguided," said Hedman.
But he people who have experienced that kind of despair will tell you that no one is immune.
"The truth of the matter is in this economy, most people are one pay check away from homelessness," said Dobba Meyer who lives at the shelter.
Still, they appreciate any attempts to raise awareness about a growing problem, and hope Kayla and the other students learn an important lesson.
"To be more grateful for what they do have," said Ballard.
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