St. Luke's needs walkers for the Fannie Mae Help the Homeless Walkathon on Saturday, November 20th. The Walkathon is one of the best ways to raise much needed funds for our organization. It's one of the easiest ways for a relatively small program like St. Luke's Shelter- Next Step Kitchen to raise enough funds to make a real difference in the services we provide. Between walker registration fees, corporate sponsorships (thank you Rockands and Whole Foods!) and other incentives, we raised over $14,000 in the Walk last year. That is enough money for the shelter to stay open all winter!
This year our goal is $20,000. We need your help to do it. That means we need more walkers. In addition to registration fees (100% of which come back to us) we will receive a $5,000 bonus for every 250 walkers we have! I hope ! you will all come out and support the work we do and help the homeless.
The walk is on Saturday, November 20th on the Mall. Registration is $25 ($15 for people 25 and under)and includes a long sleeved t-shirt and entertainment along the route. Not only is it a great way to get some exersize in before Thanksgiving but it is fun, and most importantly it helps a tremendous cause. There are over 14,000 homeless people (including children) in our area on any given night. If you can't make it on the 20th or walking isn't your thing, please consider making a donation through the site or passing this e-mail on to someone who might be interested. To join, visit the Walkathon site and when you register, sign up for the St. Luke's Shelter Team.
St. Luke's Shelter is a ministry of St. Luke's church. The Shelter, which first opened more than 11 years ago, provides a small group of homeless men with a secure residence for up to six months. The Community Council for the Homeless at Friendship Place refers residents to the Shelter and provides case management support. You can support the Shelter through the Combined Federal Campaign; the Shelter's CFC number is 7940.
The Shelter operates every night of the year. The dinner meal is provided 365 nights of the year by neighbors, members of nearby churches and synagogues, and several Wisconsin Avenue restaurants and grocers. In addition, members of St. Luke's congregation make dinner for shelter residents each month. If you or your group is interested in preparing dinner for the six residents and one staff person, please call Bobbie Carr, Dinner Volunteer Coordinator, at 301-881-1195.
The Shelter is located in the basement of the church, adjacent to the church's kitchen, where the church is developing a new job-training program called Next Step Kitchen. This year, the Shelter staff and volunteers are planning to reconfigure the Shelter's space to provide residents with more privacy, storage for personal items and quieter sleeping quarters. Interested volunteers should call the church office at 202-333-4949 to sign up.