5,000 People Expected to Take a Stand Against Homelessness in 4th Annual United Way HomeWalk on November 13

WHAT:

Part of United Way's campaign to end poverty in LA County, HomeWalk is a 5k walk to raise public awareness and fund solutions to end homelessness, an extreme form of poverty. All money raised from HomeWalk is distributed back into the community to fund permanent housing solutions for homeless Angelenos. Over the last three years, 13,000 people have walked, raising $1.3M and helping over 6,000 people off the streets.

WHY/STATS:

LA County has the largest homeless population in the United States

• On any given night, over 48,000 people are homeless in LA County; 7,400 are veterans

• 67% of the homeless population are unsheltered, living on the streets or in cars

• Number one cause of homelessness is loss of a job; Over 93,000 families in LA County earn less than $10,000 each year

• 40% of homeless population are women and children; 24% of the homeless population is chronically homeless

• United Way Homeless Cost Study in 2009 found permanent supportive housing provides a 43% savings for taxpayers when compared with cost of living on the streets

WHO:

Thousands of L.A. residents walking to help end homelessness, including the following expected officials:

• L.A. County Supervisors Mark Ridley Thomas and Zev Yaroslavsky

• L.A. City Council members Tom LaBonge, Jan Perry and Dennis Zine

• Los Angeles Business Leaders Task Force members

• United Way of Greater Los Angeles CEO Elise Buik

WHEN:

Saturday, November 13, 2010

• 8:30 a.m.  Opening Ceremonies and address by city officials

• 9:00 a.m.  Walk begins; educational journey on billboards along the route

• 10:15 a.m.  Walkers finish at a highly-visual eight-region schematic, and are asked to commit to making change in their own backyards

WHERE:

Exposition Park

700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles

BCAST VISUALS:

• Opening remarks and ceremonies
• Educational journey with billboards displaying faces of homelessness and information all along the route; walkers committing to making change in their backyards at end of the route
• Eight-region neighborhood schematic
• Interviews with local and state officials (see above list) as well as individuals and families that have been housed as a result of HomeWalk