BRATTLEBORO, VT – Groundworks Collaborative will hold the seventh annual Hike for the Homeless fundraiser on Saturday, October 14, on Mount Wantastiquet in Hinsdale, NH. There will be two start times, 10am and 12:30pm, each beginning at the Mountain Road trailhead in Hinsdale (an immediate left after the second bridge on Route 119 when coming from downtown Brattleboro). Registration begins at 9:30 for the 10am start, and at noon for the 12:30pm start. Whether hiking to the summit or walking the River Trail at the mountain’s base, participants can anticipate spectacular fall-foliage views of the town of Brattleboro. Hikers may raise funds individually (a minimum of $50 is suggested) or as a team (suggested minimum $250). All proceeds from the Hike benefit Groundworks’ programs to house and support families and individuals experiencing homelessness in Brattleboro and surrounding communities.
Groundworks Collaborative is the organization that was created in June 2015 from the merger of Morningside Shelter and the Brattleboro Area Drop-In Center. Groundworks offers food, shelter, and supportive services to our neighbors in need. Groundworks Shelter provides 30 beds for families and individuals – serving roughly 125 people per year, while the Seasonal Overflow Shelter (opening in November at a new location on the Winston Prouty campus) provided a warm place to sleep and a nightly meal for 154 individuals last winter. Additionally, Groundworks operates the region’s most heavily utilized Food Shelf, provides housing case management for over 100 area households, and is a financial intermediary for over 50 people receiving Social Security disability benefits who have trouble balancing a fixed monthly budget. Groundworks Drop-In Center on South Main Street is a day shelter – offering a place of belonging where those with nowhere else to go can take a shower, do a load of laundry, check mail and email, use a phone, prepare a meal, and get a hot cup of coffee.
“Our work is always an uphill battle, and we continue to create new and unprecedented partnerships in the community to enrich our programming and improve services for our neighbors in need,” said Executive Director Josh Davis. Groundworks is launching new collaborations with Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, the Brattleboro Retreat, and HCRS, as well as with the Windham & Windsor Housing Trust’s Great River Terrace project (repurposing the former Lamplighter Motel to become micro-apartments to house chronically homeless individuals).
According to Libby Bennett, Groundworks’ Development Director, Hike for the Homeless is one of the organization’s largest annual fundraisers. “We rely on the amazing generosity of supporters in the community – those participating as hikers, sponsors, or contributors to the efforts of our hikers – to help us raise a significant portion of our Annual Fund.” Bennett said in years past as many as 150 participants have raised over $20,000 to help house those experiencing homelessness in the community. The fundraising goal for this year’s Hike is $22,000.
Those who wish to participate in Hike for the Homeless by fundraising, hiking, or contributing to a participant, may visit GroundworksVT.org clicking on the EVENTS tab for links to register, donate and fundraise. Refreshments will be available for all registered participants. Questions may be directed to Libby Bennett at lbennett@GroundworksVT.org, or 802-257-0066 x1101.
Groundworks would like to extend sincere thanks to confirmed sponsors of this year’s Hike, including: Silver Forest of Vermont, Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, World Learning, Abatem Exterminating, Bodett & Company, Brattleboro Food Co-Op, the Brattleboro Retreat, DMI Paving & Excavating, Farnum Insulators, Green Mountain Power, Trust Company of Vermont, Iconic Rock – 92.7 WKVT FM, Brattleboro Pharmacy, Brattleboro Tire, Pieciak & Company, Friends of the Sun, Goodenough Rubbish Removal, Hotel Pharmacy, First Choice Communications, Oak Meadow, and Richmond Auto Repair. Groundworks would also like to thank print sponsor Lotus Graphics. Businesses interested in sponsoring Groundworks fundraising events may contact Libby at lbennett@GroundworksVT.org, or 802-257-0066 x1101.
for an interview, please contact:
Josh Davis, Executive Director, Groundworks Collaborative
802-257-0066 x1102 or 802-490-2951 | jdavis@GroundworksVT.org
