During the walk,  we are raising money for a non-profit called JOIN: Connecting the Street to a Home. We had the great fortune of working at JOIN for a year as Americorp and Jesuit volunteers. The two of us worked in the Day Space, where individuals and families experiencing homelessness could access basic services like showers, mail and countless other services. More than simply offer services though, Join’s staff works tirelessly to create an environment of inclusiveness and respect in the Day Space.

And their work does not stop there. They have an Outreach team that connects with individuals and families sleeping outside or in their cars, and supports them in their efforts to secure housing. They have a Retention team that offers these individuals and families the individualized support that they may need to succeed in their housing long term. We could write essays about the importance of the work Join does, and the beautiful manner they do it in, but we could never express how loving and welcoming Join’s staff, and the people accessing Join’s services, were to us in our time there.

If you would like to make a donation, please visit our Fundly page.

If you are interested in learning more about homelessness in America, we recommend this TED talk by Israel Bayer, the Executive Director of Street Roots, as a good place to start.