Most schools donate money and food to help the less fortunate.

But nine teachers and administrators from Miami Lakes Middle School wanted to a bit more to help: They slept in front of the school in boxes to promote homelessness awareness.

“We thought the kids needed a model of personal self-sacrifice,” said language arts teacher Rachel Diaz, who organized the event.

Diaz thought the best idea was to “walk in the other person’s footsteps.”

Teachers and administrators got to the school at 8 p.m., spent the night near the entrance of the school until 5 a.m.

The school reached out to parents and local businesses to spread work about the staff sleep-out. Many parents convinced their employers to match donations.

The school raised more than $2,000 for Camillus House, which also used social networking to appeal for donations.

“The parents really responded to this,” Diaz said. When Diaz approached Camillus House with their idea, the group was immediately on board.

“We’re happy every time the community says, ‘We’re interested in doing something,’ especially involving the children,” said Maria Peralta, media relations manager for Camillus House, who attended the event.

“It’s wonderful, to see a community come together,” Peralta said.

Trust counselor Marly Bouza said that the idea came about when the school discussed donating food baskets to homeless shelters.

“We wanted to do more,” she said.

Even though the adults were roughing it, they weren’t without basic comforts. The school was unlocked, granting them access to the bathrooms and most of them came stocked with sleeping bags and cellphones.

Teacher incorporated the project into their lesson plans, asking students to research contributing factors to homelessness.

“The kids have to say what they want to do,” Bouza said. “It became more of a school-wide project.”

Though students did not spend the night sleeping outside, they worked on different projects to promote awareness. One group made pamphlets explaining homelessness and its causes. Student-made artwork was hung on the walls for the event, and several students read poetry that they wrote after learning more about the subject.

Mayor Michael Pizzi, who spoke at the event, stressed that even relatively affluent communities such as Miami Lakes have seen the impact of a floundering economy, and noted many families are just a paycheck away from losing their homes.

“What these kids are focusing on is truth,” said Pizzi, who spoke to the students at the event about the importance of volunteer work and charity. “It’s really important to get kids in affluent communities to focus on helping others.”