Pastor Dave Delaney of St. Paul's Methodist Church in West Deptford will join the owners of the Piston Diner in Westville to sleep in cardboard boxes on the street Thursday evening. It's part of a nationwide demonstration on behalf of a group that rescues homeless kids from the streets.

Delaney says they are trying to raise money for Covenant House, a national group that rescues homeless kids from the streets, and also raise awareness about the plight of these kids.

Covenant House is the largest privately-funded agency in the United States to provide shelter, food, crisis care and services to both homeless and runaway youth.

"These kids have mental health issues, some already have drug issues. But some are just your average, everyday kid," Delaney says. "For some of them, maybe the home life is not good."

Delaney says it's a preview to the group's national sleep out Nov. 16-17.

"I have been sleeping out every year for the last five years," he said. "The real reasons are the young people across America who are out on our streets, homeless, seeking shelter wherever they might find it. And unfortunately, being prey to the slave traders, to drug pushers, to all sorts of incredibly awful things that can happen to them. And these kids come from every demographic that you can think of."

Delaney says this is the first year he's expanded the sleep out because his friends decided to join him.

"Every single night, a couple of hundred kids are rescued or in a shelter in New Jersey," he says.

Joe Cutter is the afternoon news anchor on New Jersey 101.5

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