7th Annual Germantown Walk for the Homeless

In 2005 the Washington metropolitan area saw approximately 14,000 people homeless on any given day.

Nearly half are families; more than a third are children.

Many people assume that most people lose their homes because they abuse drugs or alcohol. But it’s not that simple. People get evicted from their homes because they cannot afford steep rent hikes. People lose their jobs and wind up on the streets. Single working mothers show up at shelters with their children because they can not afford day care. Other people end up homeless because they are too sick to work or were forced to flee an abusive home. Some people ran away as teenagers and cannot afford to live on their own. While everyone’s story is different, all homeless people have two things in common: They are extremely poor and they have no permanent place to call home.

I have asked Catherine Matthews, Director of the Upcounty to update these numbers for us - My thoughts are that these numbers will have increased due to the high foreclosure and short sale rates.

It is with this in mind that I have decided to organize the Germantown Walk for the Homeless for the 7th year - I will keep you all posted as to the date of the walk and how you may be able to assist or sponsor. I would like to thank you in advance for any help that you may be able to provide.

We will be updating the official walk website as time goes along - please feel free to check it out. www.GermantownWalk.com