The City of West Hollywood will participate in United Way’s annual HomeWalk 5k Family Run/Walk event on May 18. The event raises funds for the fight to end homelessness and poverty in Los Angeles County. HomeWalk will take place at Grand Park, which is located near Los Angeles City Hall, at 200 North Grand Ave., Los Angeles.
The City of West Hollywood has formed a team and is conducting fundraising efforts. Community members and their friends and family are invited to join the city’s team by registering online here. People who would like to donate to the cause, but cannot participate, may contribute online using the team website link.
HomeWalk participants will begin to gather at 7 a.m. on May 18, a Saturday, at Grand Park. The walk will kick off at 8:45 a.m., and everyone must start the walk no later than 9:15 a.m. Late arrivals will not be permitted to participate in the walk after that time. This year, the United Way has teamed up with the Los Angeles Rams team (players, coaches, cheerleaders and fans) to join thousands of participants on the day of HomeWalk.
According to United Way, HomeWalk was launched 12 years ago and since has raised funds to influence legislation for homeless solutions and prevention. Efforts include a county-wide campaign called Everyone In, which mobilizes thousands of Angelenos across all 88 cities to advocate and support housing solutions. Since 2011, more than 40,000 people have been housed though United Way’s Home For Good initiative and they’ve developed a coordinated system to match homeless residents to housing. The system is now used by more than 130 homeless service providers countywide.
The City of West Hollywood has a commitment to providing social services to its community members. Throughout its history, the city has provided millions of dollars in grants to fund programs that include services for people who are homeless; seniors; people with HIV and AIDS; members of the LGBT community; people with disabilities; alcohol and drug use recovery programs; support programs for Russian-speaking immigrants; food programs; and health care services for people who are uninsured. Today, the city allocates approximately $5 million per year to support programs that have an impact on thousands of people in West Hollywood.
The city’s Homeless Initiative, which is led by the city’s Strategic Initiatives Division, addresses homelessness with a multi-disciplinary, multi-agency, collaborative response. If you are concerned about a community member who is homeless, call the West Hollywood Homeless Initiative Concern Line at (323) 848-6590. If your concern requires time-sensitive assistance during nights or weekends, please call the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station at (310) 855-8850. For additional information, please visit www.weho.org/homeless.
