The Texarkana Homeless Coalition's Bridge City Project, slated for Jan. 25 to increase awareness about the area's homeless population, has been revamped.
In the past, some participants volunteered to spend the night in a box to get a feel for what's being homeless might be like but it will no longer be an overnight event.
"Nobody sleeps in a box. Most people who aren't in shelters sleep in tents or encampments so based on feedback the coalition decided it wasn't an accurate depiction of homelessness in our community and we wanted to shift the focus to more awareness," said Alaina Marcum, chairman of the Texarkana Homeless Coalition and title housing case manager at Mission Texarkana Inc.
The event is slated to take in the parking lot across from the Salvation Army Center in downtown Texarkana.
There will be a chili cook-off beginning at 5 p.m. There is a $25 entry fee to enter the chili cook-off and participants are asked to make enough chili for 50 people. The award categories are Best in Texarkana, Best Theme and People's Choice. Any left over chili will be donated to local shelters.
There will also be live music, a fireside chat, a movie and a raffle for a YETI cooler at the event.
The fireside chat takes place at 7 p.m.
"The fireside chats will be two led discussions about homelessness in our community and we'll answer questions and debunk some myths that surround homelessness," Marcum said.
Tickets for the raffle are $5 each or five tickets for $20. The winner will be announced at 8 p.m.
The film "Same Kind of Different as Me" will be shown at 8:15 p.m.
It's important for the community to know the facts about homelessness.
"I want the community to know that the homelessness is a symptom of another problem. Typically, homelessness is the visible result of something else going on in somebody's life," Marcum said. "I want people to understand that when somebody is homeless, they've exhausted family and friend resources. It comes to a point where they have a problem and they're all alone. It becomes cyclical. It's hard to get out (of) homelessness."
The event should wrap up around 10:30 p.m.
Register for the chili cook-off by visiting the Texarkana Homeless Coalition's Facebook page and clicking the link provided.