Nick’s fundraiser benefits April homelessness walk

‘Tis the season to wine and dine — and donate.

Nick’s English Hut will be raising money for the Homeward Bound Walk from 5 to 8 p.m. tonight. Ten percent of the backroom food and drink sales will be donated to Homeward Bound, and one of the waitresses, Natalie, will donate her tips to the non-profit organization.

The Homeward Bound Walk will be celebrating its 10th year April 15 at Third Street Park. 

“As far as Homeward Bound Walk, our goal is to raise over $100,000 and over 1,000 walkers,” said Kathy Mayer of the City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Commission.

The commission has nine volunteers who work with different human issues in the city, including homelessness. The “donate-and-dine” fundraising will continue with Applebee’s on Feb. 28.

“This year, we did a lot of brainstorming and coming up with ways that we could help and support the event,” Mayers said.

Twelve Bloomington agencies fundraise for Homeward Bound Walk.

“Most of the team captains will go out and recruit some of their friends or colleagues to be on their team, and we kind of compete team to team within our own agency,” said Vanessa Schmidt, coordinator at Youth Services Bureau, a non-profit that houses runaway youths.

Centerstone, a community-based behavioral health facility, has raised money for the walk since its inception.

“Every year, I try to raise the goal a little bit just to keep everybody motivated,” said Kelley Salvo, who raises funds with Centerstone.

Mayer said the fundraising is also a way to keep families in their homes.

“With this economy, it’s just another way for low-income citizens to make it through day to day,” she said.