Students from Poudre School District and Thompson Valley School District later this month will spend the night in cardboard boxes to raise awareness of homeless and affordable housing issues in "24 Hours to Help the Homeless."

The idea is to help homeless efforts in the community and raise awareness for affordable housing and homelessness.

On March 12 and 13, more than 20 students from Larimer County will spend 24 hours of their spring break volunteering with local agencies that serve the homeless and learning how they can get involved in developing community solutions to homelessness.

The students will set up a "cardboard city" in the stage area of Old Town Square in downtown Fort Collins, and community leaders have been invited to join them for a soup kitchen dinner at 6 p.m.