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Homeless walk raises $10,000
In an affluent county like Fairfax, homelessness may not appear to be a pressing social problem.
In fact, it is, and the county even has what officials call the "Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness in the Fairfax-Falls Church Area." More than 2,000 people are homeless in Fairfax, according to the county. In 2006 the Board of Supervisors set a goal to end homelessness in 10 years.
On Sunday, the Embry Rucker Shelter in Reston held a Walk for the Homeless that attracted nearly 400 walkers and raised about $10,000, according the Amanda Andere, vice president for external affairs and community relations at Reston Interfaith.
“It's an opportunity even just for people to realize there's a shelter in their back yard,” she said.
The Embry Rucker Shelter is one of six emergency shelters in the county. They are run by private-public partnerships between the county and nonprofit groups. Reston Interfaith is the county's partner at Embry Rucker.
The money raised on Sunday will benefit not only the shelter, but also all of Reston Interfaith's homeless programs, which extend into transitional programs and affordable housing initiatives. The organization also conducts educational presentations on homelessness in the area throughout the year, which has resulted in participation from local schools and businesses.
On Saturday, residents participated in a walk for the homeless at the Southgate Community Center, raising nearly $1,000, Andere said.
This Thursday, Oct. 25, students at Fox Mill Elementary will hold their second annual Mini-Walk for the Homeless after school. Last year's inaugural walk raised nearly $10,000 for Reston Interfaith's programs.
Marte Birnbaum has been director of the Embry Rucker Shelter since 2004 and has participated in all four walks. During that time, Birnbaum said community awareness not only of homelessness but also of affordable housing issues has in fact increased, though there remain other related issues that aren't completely understood.
“I think people still do not understand the extent of the problem and some of the primary factors, such as the continued lack of affordable housing and low wages in many sectors,” she said.
Birnbaum said she is encouraged by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors' efforts to end homelessness and to provide more affordable housing.
“As a taxpayer it's been one of my more positive experiences, seeing people proceed in a deliberate and rational manner to address a huge problem,” she said.
Embry Rucker offers 70 beds each night with an additional 15 beds available during the winter to prevent hypothermia. The shelter has 20 full-time staff members, several part-time staff members and more than 400 volunteers.
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