WORCESTER, Mass. – A community health center is looking to raise awareness and money to support the homeless in Worcester.
According to Family Health Center of Worcester [FHCW], the average person experiencing homelessness walks 10 miles a day. Winter Walk Worcester is challenging people to walk 10 miles a week for four weeks while raising money to support the health care and social services they offer through their Worcester Health Care for the Homeless programs.
Dr. Erik Garcia, Medical Director of Homeless Outreach and Advocacy Programs, says it gives people the chance to walk in someone else’s shoes.
“To really obtain services throughout a city sometimes you can walk up to 10 miles to get food to get shelter to get to a hospital or to an appointment. This walk is really sort of a recognition and hopefully an awareness of that particular aspect of the social determinant of health, having to walk places,” Dr. Garcia said.
Lou Brady, FHCW President and CEO, said, “We really do support and empower communities that are sometimes overlooked, sometimes dismissed, people who are just like us but can with a tip of the domino one way verses another find themselves in homelessness,” says Lou Brady, President/CEO, Family Health Center of Worcester.
It runs from Saturday, February 20 to March 20 and the entrance fee is $25. You can sign up here: www.WinterWalkWorcester.org.
Ana Bottary
Spectrum News 1
