United Way of Greater Los Angeles Kicks Off Initiative to Prevent and End Homelessness With Hom...( First-of-Its-Kind 5K Family Walk on...),Health

First-of-Its-Kind 5K Family Walk on November 17th to Raise Awareness and Funds to Fight Homelessness in Los Angeles County - the Homeless Capital of

America

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- United Way of Greater Los Angeles today announced its 5K Family Walk in Exposition Park in Los Angeles at 8:30 am on November 17, 2007 called HomeWalk, part of its A Pathway Home initiative to prevent and end homelessness. The walk, in collaboration with the Fannie Mae Foundation Help the Homeless Program and Walkathon, will take place simultaneously in Washington D.C. and across six other cities. This is the first such walk in Los Angeles, although Washington, D.C.'s event celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with more than 35,000 walkers.

Homewalk launched publicly this morning with an historic news conference at the Downtown Women's Center that featured the support of the entire elected leadership of both the City and County of Los Angeles, including Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky, City Council President Eric Garcetti and State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas. Each elected official issued a public invitation to attend the walk, and challenged the residents of Greater Los Angeles to get involved in fighting the causes of homelessness.

HomeWalk and A Pathway Home are a primary part of United Way's recently launched Action Plan, which focuses on creating pathways out of poverty. With an estimated 152,000 homeless in Los Angeles County throughout the year, United Way and its partners believe strongly that the homelessness problem can be solved with concerted community action; and are committed to helping thousands of homeless families and individuals find housing and self-sufficiency. Through HomeWalk, United Way will attempt to build increased public and political will for workable, effective homelessness solutions like supportive housing.

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