Holliston Students Organize Walk to Fight Homelessness

Submitted by Holliston Winter Walk

With the long winter months setting in and temperatures beginning to drop, most Massachusetts residents rush to seek the comfort of their homes. But for the thousands of homeless people living in and around Boston, this is not an option. They are forced to brave rough New England snowstorms, freezing rains, and sleet, never knowing for sure where they will sleep at night or where their next meal will come from.

Fortunately, Massachusetts is one of the top ranked states for services offered to combat the issue. This high rating is largely due to the efforts of organizations such as HomeStart, Inc., which acts as a real estate agent for the homeless. This includes assigning its clients advocates to defend their rights in court, developing payment plans for rent, and helping them acquire and retain housing. The organization gathers support from a wide range of sources, from government grants to privately owned companies.

One source of revenue for the past eight years has been the annual Winter Walk, organized by students at Holliston High School. This year, the Winter Walk will take place on March 4^th, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. and will begin at the First Congregational Church in Holliston. All the proceeds of this walk go directly to HomeStart, helping pay for items such as furniture, linens, and flatware for new homeowners.

“HomeStart continues to be deeply grateful for the people of Holliston and Sherborn for their deep commitment to ending homelessness,” Linda Wood-Boyle, the President of HomeStart, Inc. says. “We are especially thankful to all of the students who enable this annual event to happen. The funds they raise make a big difference in our ability to serve our clients."

The students planning the walk recently visited the offices of HomeStart, in order to gain a firsthand look at the cause they are supporting. They had the opportunity to observe meetings between clients and their advocates as well as speak with the heads of different departments.

A HomeStart employee working in Prevention explained his role in helping clients prevent or at least delay the loss of their homes. His job includes speaking to around 30 people on the phone each day and determining what can be done for them. Various other departments deal with clients’ finances and bureaucratic needs. One of the more unique branches of HomeStart is the Housing department, which takes people straight off the street and puts them into homes. Most of the people chosen to receive housing are recommended by homeless shelters. HomeStart then helps them recover from any illnesses or addictions and find employment so they can begin to support themselves again.

One of HomeStart’s new clients is a woman named Myrna, whose 20-year struggle with addiction rendered her homeless. After losing her apartment almost a year ago, she spent time living both on the streets and in transitional housing for former addicts. Now 5 months sober, Myrna is working with Emory, one of HomeStart’s advocates.

“Myrna is the perfect example of why I do what I do – she is a woman who came to this country looking for a new opportunities, but struggled to find employment and a supportive community,” Emory explains. “After battling addiction for years, she has finally found services and a support network to keep her sober and thriving. She is taking advantage of our services, and it has turned her life around.”

Many of HomeStart’s clients do not fit the stereotypical image of a homeless person. They are victims of economic hardship, health struggles, and various forms of adversity, who are attempting to improve their lives. In order to continue providing services to the homeless people of Massachusetts, HomeStart needs as much support as it can get.

Please join the communities of Holliston and surrounding towns on March 4^th to help end homelessness one step at a time. Winter Walk will begin at the First Congregational Church in Holliston at 1:00 PM. To register and find more information, go to winterwalk.org.