Statewide 5K walk planned

Students and community members are taking steps and striding to combat homelessness through Bloomington's first annual 5-kilometer walk. The rain or shine event will begin 2 p.m. Sunday at Third Street Park and is part of a six walk series scheduled to take place in regions throughout Indiana.\nThe 5K walk is organized by Homeward Bound, a collaboration of local homeless service providers who collect money and raise awareness for the fight against homelessness in Indiana. The event is designed to support non-profit agencies who are dedicated to providing citizens with affordable housing services. The local organizations include: Amethyst House, the Center For Behavioral Health, Indiana Legal Services, Inc., Middle Way House, Shalom Community Center, Shelter Inc. and South Central Community Action Program. \n"Anyone can walk," Damian Dittmer, case manager at Shelter, Inc. said. "There is no fee for teams or individual walkers, but everyone is encouraged to collect sponsors."\nTeams and individual volunteers can register for the event the day of the walk, or online at www.homelesswalks.org. Walkers who register through the Web site can designate the charity their money will go to or chose to donate to the general pot, which will be totaled and split among the organizations. \nMichael DeNunzio, co-chairman of the 5K walk, said he hopes the event will attract more volunteers to local organizations. \n"Almost all of the agencies that contribute to Bloomington will be there," DeNunzio said. "Our town is known for its strong volunteerism and this will be a great opportunity to raise money for a good cause."\nStephanie LaFontaine, development specialist at the Center For Behavioral Health, encourages all Bloomington residents to participate in the event. LaFontaine said entertainment such as puppet shows and music will be provided along the route.\n"It's a well-established fact that we live in a county with the highest rent and lowest wages," LaFontaine said. "Residents should take this opportunity to bring attention and outreach to those who are not yet getting help."\nThe Volunteer Students Bureau will contribute to the event by serving as a liaison between the programming committee and the IU population, recruiting students and organizations to form walking teams. \n"This is ultimately a collaborative effort between the campus and the community at large to try and give back to Bloomington," said Erin Erwin, graduate assistant for the VSB. "The goal for all of the regions is to raise $100,000 for each walk, and I think we can do it."\nAccording to recent surveys conducted by the Shalom Community Center, it is estimated Monroe County averages 4,000 homeless people each year, and more than 300,000 Hoosiers have been at risk for homelessness at some point in their lives. The average length of stay for an individual at any of Monroe County's emergency shelters is six weeks and eight weeks for a family. Seventy-eight percent of the persons served in area shelters are local residents.\n"It's important to raise awareness about the growing homeless population around the area," Dittmer said. "Who can place a value on one of the most basic human needs -- having a home"