Walking with purpose
Participants in city’s ShelterWalk help in making strides against homelessness
WOONSOCKET — If Community Care Alliance Chief Executive Officer Ben Lessing had it his way, Saturday's annual ShelterWalk would be the final edition in its 29-year history, but only because that would mean there would be no need to be concerned about homelessness and the effect it has on so many.
“To some degree, we're sad we have to do this,” Lessing said on Saturday morning. “One of the things we know about homeless families with children is that it's very traumatic, it disrupts their education, there are long-term health consequences.”
“But the hope is to see a day when the homeless and families and their children have permanent housing,” he added with a sense of optimism.
Lessing was among a crowd of about 250 walkers who were assembled at River Island Park before taking to city streets to trek a three-mile loop around downtown as part of the annual ShelterWalk. The yearly saunter around the city supports the Woonsocket Shelter and homelessness prevention programs.
Now in its 29th year, the annual stroll seeks to raise funds and serve as a method for raising awareness about the impact homelessness can have on families and individuals within the city.
Lessing said that homeless shelters are somewhat hidden from the community, but the visibility of seeing hundreds clad in purple t-shirts parading their way through Woonsocket helps to raise awareness of the plight of the city's homeless. He estimated that Rhode Island needs 34,000 affordable housing units, a figure “we're nowhere close to.”
The value that affordable housing brings to families, removing them from shelters and homelessness, is incalculable, he added.
“We know housing improves health statuses and long-term well-being,” he said. “I hope for them, they see today a community that supports them and that they're not being pushed to the margins. They experience a lot of shame, part of our job is to support them and make them part of the community.”
The work of Community Care Alliance and other organizations endeavoring to prevent homelessness sends a message that the community is supportive of those who are enduring hard times, officials said on Saturday. Whether it is credit counseling, life skills classes, or housing programs, the alliance offers something for everybody, with the ultimate goal of self-sufficiency in good housing.
The hundreds of walkers assembled together at River Island Park early Saturday morning were comprised of individuals and groups of families, friends, schools, businesses, faith-based communities, local organizations, and city officials.
Wendy Pires, Community Care Alliance's event and volunteer coordinator, echoed Lessing's sentiment when she said that while it's obviously great to have a large crowd gathered together for a good cause, there's a pain associated with it.
“In some ways it's sad that we need to raise awareness and funds for homelessness,” Pires said. “We like to have these partnerships but homelessness still exists. But there's nothing more important than 300 people walking down the street together to raise awareness.”
The money raised from donors, walkers, and 44 local sponsors, Pires said, targets the goal of keeping the Shelter open, so there's somewhere for families in need to go. However, Pires said that the Shelter remains at capacity, steady with 20 families and eight single women.
“It's full all the time,” she said, noting there are many reasons for why people lose their residences. “You never know the hardships that occur. It could be a lost job, mental health issue, divorce, but the Shelter takes in all families.”
Woonsocket Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt took immediate note of the color of the tshirts that the walkers donned on Saturday. She said that purple is the color of her administration because it combines red and blue. Red, she explained, represents energy while blue stands for stability.
“What Community Care Alliance is doing keeps the energy alive and brings stability to those in the community,” the mayor said.
“What a wonderful turnout,” Baldelli-Hunt added of the crowd, which assembled despite the threat of rain. “Seeing numbers keep growing is a tribute to the people of Woonsocket.”