VALDOSTA — Preparing for this week’s scheduled Homeless-4-A-Night, organizers soon had a dilemma.
There’s a lot already happening this weekend.
So, Lowndes Associated Ministries to People, Park Avenue United Methodist Church and Northside Baptist have moved the event from this weekend to the weekend of April 16-17, said Harriet Messcher, a LAMP spokesperson.
Jan Schert realized the dilemma facing Homeless-4-A-Night earlier this week.
She had hoped to have youth artists scheduled in advance for the Artists In Motion segment of the Homeless-4-A-Night event.
Yet, she soon discovered the LAMP event had been scheduled on the same weekend as the start of Valdosta State University’s spring break, the same weekend that some area churches’ youth groups are participating in other activities, and the same weekend as the Azalea Festival.
To avoid similar conflicts in April, Schert invites artists, dancers, actors, singers, performers of all types to participate in the Artists In Motion’s evening portion of Homeless-4-A-Night.
Though Schert still emphasizes the hope for young artists, she invites artists of all ages to participate.
But the emphasis remains the same.
Schert’s vision for Artists In Motion is a league of young artists from different parts of Valdosta-Lowndes County. Artists In Motion proposes bringing together artists from different socioeconomic and religious backgrounds.
“I see it as an opportunity for young artists to come together, share ideas and create a community,” Schert says.
In the past, Artists In Motion sponsored the local celebration of the United Nations International Day of Peace in Downtown Valdosta.
Now, Artists In Motion takes aim at raising awareness of homelessness. Presenting an arts program during an event on being homeless poses a paradox.
Homeless-4-A-Night is supposed to help participants better understand the isolation of being homeless.
Participants sleep outdoors in boxes, for example. Yet, organizers worry some young people may grow bored and walk way from the event without something to keep their interest.
Artists In Motion’s program has an entertainment component, but its main mission during Homeless-4-A-Night is to raise awareness, create a sense of purpose and community, during the event’s early hours Friday night before sending participants outdoors to sleep in their boxes, Schert says.
As for the artists, Schert asks area artists to contact her prior to the event so she can prepare a schedule for the evening.

More Info:
Homeless-4-A-Night is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, April 16, through 7 a.m. Saturday, April 17, Park Avenue United Methodist Church, 100 E. Park Ave., and Northside Baptist Church, 200 E. Park Ave. More information on the event: Call (229) 242-3562. More information on participating with Artists In Motion: Contact Jan Schert, janschert@gmail.com; and (415) 283-5281.