Walk-a-thon to fight homelessness

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FAIRBORN — The Greene County Housing Program will host a walk-a-thon to keep the facility operating. In celebration of the event, the City of Fairborn proclaiming Saturday, April 29 — the day the event is slated to take place — as “Walk for Stabilizing Families Day.”

“The Greene County Housing Program was established in 1990 and helps Greene County families in need of housing during emergency times [and is] a non-profit organization that depends on grants, the United Way as well as public and private sources of income,” Fairborn Mayor Dan Kirkpatrick said as he read the proclamation. “It also relies on charitable donations from local and national corporations, as well as individual donations.”

The GCHP serves as a transitional program to help local families who are experiencing homelessness. According to the program, it costs individuals $18.25 per night to stay in the facility.

Funds raised during the walk-a-thon will help offset those costs. Program officials said it serves approximately 226 individuals each year, with 92 percent of the participants exiting the program to obtain stable housing. The event will also include kid-friendly activities, food trucks, music and exercise. Teams who raise the most funds will be awarded.

“We’re happy to have our first … event,” said Penny Madry-Johnson, who serves as the program’s executive director. ” … We expect over 300 participants and we’re looking forward to having a great, family-fun time. All the proceeds will be used to provide nights of shelter stay for all our families who come to us. Over 20-25 families from Fairborn are guests in our program and about 12 of those families return to Fairborn in either low-income or section eight housing.”

Participants will be able to walk or run in a 5 K on either a team or as an individual. Registration beings 8:30 a.m. and the walk begins 9:30 a.m. at Community Park East, 691 East Dayton-Yellow Springs Road.

“All citizens of Greene County are invited to participate in this fun-filled day,” Kirkpatrick said.

For more information, contact Madry-Johnson or Linda Bynum at 937-376-3111 or visit www.greenecountyhousingprogram.org.

“We’re proud of this event, and we’re happy to have it in Fairborn,” Madry-Johnson said.

Whitney Vickers | Greene County News Fairborn Mayor Dan Kirkpatrick and Greene County Housing Program Executive Director Penny Madry-Johnson after proclaiming Saturday, April 29 as “Walk for Stabilizing Families Day” across the city. A walk-a-thon event to help support the program is slated for 8:30 a.m. Saturday, April 29 at Community Park, 691 E. Dayton-Yellow Springs Road.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2017/04/web1_DSC_0445.jpgWhitney Vickers | Greene County News Fairborn Mayor Dan Kirkpatrick and Greene County Housing Program Executive Director Penny Madry-Johnson after proclaiming Saturday, April 29 as “Walk for Stabilizing Families Day” across the city. A walk-a-thon event to help support the program is slated for 8:30 a.m. Saturday, April 29 at Community Park, 691 E. Dayton-Yellow Springs Road.

Herald News Report

Herald News Report compiled by Whitney Vickers.

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