More Than Cardboard Homes
By Kayla Miranda, Student Intern & Ambassador for ShelterBox USA, Long Beach State University
Most teenagers spend Friday nights with friends, sports, or school events.
Students in Marine City High School’s Interact Club spend one night each year sleeping in cardboard shelters.
They do it to raise awareness about homelessness and support families around the world who have lost their homes after disaster, while also raising funds and awareness for ShelterBox USA and a local homeless shelter.
Now entering its fourth year, the event, known as Box City, has become a community tradition in Marine City. Students design and build cardboard homes at Nautical Mile Park along the St. Clair River, creating a temporary city that draws community members together around a shared cause.
For Interact Club advisor Kelli Bracken, the event is about much more than cardboard houses.
“I’m so proud of these kids. They have a drive, this innate thing, to help people,” Bracken said. “I don’t know if it’s just part of the culture here, but they are ambitious to help people and do more projects.”
Bracken first experienced Box City before moving to Marine City and saw an opportunity to bring the event to local students. She said many of the participants come from hardworking, blue-collar families, with parents employed in restaurants, factories, and retail jobs. Even so, students consistently step up to support others in need.
Throughout the day, participants share information about their cause, collect donations, and invite community members to visit their cardboard city. Visitors can also tour a ShelterBox tent and learn how emergency shelter and essential supplies help families rebuild after disaster.
“We invite people to come back and check out our little town and to check out the ShelterBox set up and learn more about what we’re doing,” Bracken said. “We bring them into the ShelterBox tent and show them all the cool things that ShelterBox is doing.”
While the cardboard homes are often creative and imaginative, the experience also encourages students to think differently about the challenges many people face.
“What I gained from my experience as treasurer and vice president is that people go through rough times more than what we understand or have an idea of,” said Jeremiah Michalski, former club treasurer and current vice president. “We should really put people who don’t have as much first. Truly after three years of this club, I live by that and I hope other people could see that too.”
As evening arrives, students gather around a bonfire to celebrate the event, play games, and recognize standout cardboard home designs. But the biggest takeaway often isn’t the awards.
It’s the sense of purpose.
Through Interact’s motto of “Service Above Self,” students have found meaningful ways to give back to their community while supporting people they may never meet.
That impact continues to grow each year. More students are getting involved, more community members are stopping by, and support for the event continues to build.
Looking ahead, Bracken expects Box City 2026 to be the biggest event yet.
“It’s really inspiring. I think the community members think it’s inspiring too,” Bracken said. “When I was that age, I don’t know what I was doing, but I wasn’t thinking about other people. I wasn’t that committed. It gives me a lot of hope for the future.”
For one night, Marine City becomes a city of cardboard homes. But the lessons students take away from Box City last much longer.
They leave with a deeper understanding of what it means to put others first and the belief that even small actions can make a meaningful difference.
