April 1, 2005

Walkathons will benefit homeless shelters

By Brandon A. Evans

A fund-raising walk titled “Homeward Bound” will take place in several cities around the state on April 10 and April 17.

Each event begins with registration at noon and greetings from dignitaries at 1:30 p.m. The walk starts at 2 p.m.

Walks in the archdiocese are scheduled on April 10 at the Veteran’s Memorial Plaza in Indianapolis, April 10 at the Third Street Park in Bloomington and April 17 at Warder Park in Jeffersonville.

The walks will benefit dozens of agencies that work to serve the needs of the homeless, including the archdiocese’s Holy Family Shelter in Indianapolis.

The event helps in a couple of ways, said Bill Bickel, director of the shelter, which takes in families so parents do not need to live apart from their children.

“One, we desperately need the financial assistance,” Bickel said. “… Secondly, if it pulls in folks that otherwise would not have any connection with the homeless issue, it’s a wonderful educational piece.

“It’s really, really important to us” to get more people to support the shelter, he said. Spring is one of the busiest times for the facility because landlords are more likely to evict families in warmer weather than during colder months.

Bickel said that the shelter has been involved with the Homeward Bound walk since it started three years ago, and each year has received more than $1,000 in aid.

Participants can give money pledged to them to the general fund or to a specific agency, such as Holy Family Shelter or Habitat for Humanity. Money given to the general fund is split among the agencies.

Representatives of the homeless agencies work on the event’s steering committee, a role that has been filled this year by Valerie Sperka, development specialist and administrative assistant for Catholic Social Services of Central Indiana.

Sperka helped organize a team of walkers from the Archbishop O’Meara Catholic Center in Indianapolis who want to help Holy Family Shelter. She encourages parishes and schools to organize teams.

There is no registration deadline, and participants can sign up at the walks.

(For more information about these events, log on to www.homelesswalks.org.) †

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