Homeward Alliance, a Larimer County-based nonprofit, invites the surrounding area to register for their upcoming family- and pet-friendly event, the Mission to Hope Walk, on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.
The event begins at 10 a.m. at Catholic Charities, 260 Linden Center Drive in Fort Collins, and concludes at the Murphy Center for Hope, 242 Conifer St. in Fort Collins. Breakfast is provided by the Fort Collins Lions Club. Homeward Alliance encourages participants to create their own walk teams when registering to involve their friends and family (human and canine) in the event.
The Mission to Hope Walk is an annual walk to raise awareness and funds to help end homelessness in Northern Colorado. Participants walk shoulder to shoulder—unhoused and housed—from our community’s overnight shelters to the Murphy Center, a one-stop hub of services for people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.
The walk covers just under two miles and traverses the same path that hundreds of people experiencing homelessness walk each day. The event serves as a visual display of support to those experiencing homelessness and affirms our community’s commitment to make homelessness rare, short-lived and nonrecurring. All proceeds support the Murphy Center for Hope.
The walk ends at an open house at the Murphy Center, where participants can learn more about Homeward Alliance programming and tour the center. Returning this year is the Family Village, featuring face painting, pumpkin decorating, cotton candy, live music and more. There will also be pet-friendly activities at the Pawprints Adventure Zone for furry family members, including making clay paw prints, a photo booth and a pupsundae stand hosted by Poudre Pet & Feed Supply.
New this year, all youth-centered groups, organizations and clubs are eligible for free registration for this event. This includes K-12 groups and higher education groups, such as fraternities and sororities.
“The Mission to Hope Walk is a chance to look beyond the headlines and see past the stereotypes,” says Pam Brewer, development director at Homeward Alliance. “By gathering together, we show our community members who are experiencing homelessness or are struggling to remain housed that we see them, care about them and remain committed to working toward lasting solutions.
For additional information or to purchase tickets, visit homewardalliance.org/hwa/mission-to-hopewalk. For information on how to support the event or for youth registrations, email kinszia@homewardalliance.org or call 970.430.6105.