9th Annual Homeless Walk calls attention to sheltering homeless during winter

By Bruce Walton | December 2, 2016 at 12:02a.m.

It was the ninth year for the event, which is sponsored by Help Hotline

YOUNGSTOWN

The gray clouds dismissed any hope of a bright morning as temperatures were close to freezing along with high winds for those making a half-hour trek from the Commons at Madison Avenue to the Help Hotline Crisis Center on Fifth Avenue.

At least 50 participants braved the elements Thursday for the ninth annual Homeless Walk.

Vince Brancaccio, chief executive officer of the Help Hotline Crisis Center that hosted the walk, said the decision to have it at 8:30 a.m. the first day of December was no mistake.

“This is an example – and worse – of what people who are homeless have to deal with on a daily basis,” he said. “And we need to bring awareness to that.”

The walk raises awareness of the service agencies that help individuals without shelter who face the bitter conditions in the long cold winter months.

It also is a kickoff for the Cold Weather Emergency Shelter Program, which provides shelter to homeless people now through March.

The walk’s participants mostly consisted of representatives from the Mahoning Valley’s homeless service agencies. Among those agencies are the U.S. Veterans Affairs, Beatitude House, Rescue Mission of Mahoning Valley and Catholic Charities Regional Agency.

This was the eighth walk for Pat Sciaretta, director of social services at the Rescue Mission.

“We all work together, which is so awesome to be able to have agencies that work together to help the community and the people we have a passion [for],” she said.

The mission on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard provides shelter for many homeless men, women and children that Sciaretta said constantly nears full capacity during the winter season. Participants also included former and current homeless people as well.

Last year, Help Hotline volunteers handled more than 2,000 contracts regarding homelessness in Mahoning County and more than 1,000 in Trumbull County. Brancaccio said he hopes the agencies can help even more this year.

Brancaccio urged the community to call 2-1-1 to receive help from the local agencies ready to make a difference for those who need shelter.