Fifteen members of Woodbury Lutheran Church slept outside in cardboard boxes at the State Fairgrounds in late October to raise awareness of homelessness in the Twin Cities.

They were among 675 youth and youth directors from 36 different congregations or groups. Money raised from the event supports Families Moving Forward in Minneapolis and the St. Paul Area Council of Churches' Project Home.

Woodbury Lutheran will again house overflow families from Project Home in March 2011.

The number of families in the Twin Cities who are homeless grew 20 percent in 2009, according to the Woodbury Lutheran's November newsletter. As Woodbury Lutheran focuses on responding to growing needs in the area, it will address the needs of this vulnerable population as part of the 21-Week Generosity Challenge.