30th Annual Good Friday Walk For Hunger and Homelessness |
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Thirty-two years ago the issues of hunger and homelessness were becoming an area of deep concern. The lives of the poor among us were a clarion call to all those concerned with poverty – and all that poverty generates. At first, and for several years afterwards, the Walk primarily was a work of the Roman Catholic parishes in the City of Providence. It grew as a faith experience and as a means to raise funds for local, national, and international groups struggling to end hunger and homelessness. A few of us have been walking for 32 years!
The participating groups and churches began to grow when the Walk Board of Directors invited those of other denominations to participate. The effort was well received. The Walk has grown to 800 to 1000 walkers and, year after year, has raised $35,000 to $50,000 for distribution. The intent always has been to remain an all-volunteer organization to maximize the distribution of funds. This labor of love joins individuals and organizations in a way that is both a faith and action-filled experience.
Many Rhode Island households are food insecure, i.e., they cannot afford adequate and nutritious food. An increasing number of families are relying on emergency food pantries every month, and more and more working people are showing up at soup kitchens!
Shelter use is at an all-time high with more than 200,000 bed nights per year and more than 6,000 individuals experiencing homeless, including more than 1500 children. The average rent for an available 2-bedroom apartment in RI is about $1,200, requiring an annual income of $45,000 to be affordable at 30 percent of income. There is no city or town in RI where a family earning less than $50,000 a year can afford a median priced home.
While the allocations from the Good Friday Walk cannot solve the problems, they do make it possible for churches and nonprofits to reach out a helping hand to those in need, respond to the people who live in their communities, and provide some measure of material assistance.
Funds raised in the Good Friday Walk are an important source of income for many small church-based projects here and abroad as well as for community nonprofits. One-page applications are mailed to previous recipients and new inquiries and are received no later than Good Friday. Monies received are deposited in our account at Citizens Bank. Once the Walk’s funds are all accounted for (they tend to dribble in for weeks as pledges are collected), a Finance Committee reviews the requests and prepares recommendations for the Board’s action. Checks – which range from $200 to $2,000+, depending on the demonstrated need – are distributed at the Annual Meeting in late September.
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Last modified:
March 08, 2010
