BRATTLEBORO — Groundworks Collaborative will hold the eighth annual Hike for the Homeless fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 13, on Mount Wantastiquet in Hinsdale, N.H.
The hike will begin at 10 a.m., with check-in beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Mountain Road trailhead in Hinsdale (an immediate left after the second bridge on Route 119 when coming from downtown Brattleboro).
Whether hiking to the summit or walking the River Trail at the mountain's base, participants can anticipate spectacular fall-foliage views of Brattleboro.
Hikers may raise funds individually (raising a minimum of $50 per person 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 2015 from the merger of Morningside Shelter and the Brattleboro Area Drop-in Center.
Groundworks offers food, shelter, and supportive services to 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 on the Winston Prouty campus) provides a warm place to sleep and a nightly meal during the cold winter months. Last winter, 155 people used the shelter.
Additionally, Groundworks operates the region's most heavily utilized food pantry, provides housing case management for more than 100 area households, and serves as a financial intermediary for more than 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 cup of hot coffee.
Recovering from fire
“Our work is always an uphill battle and was recently challenged further by a minor fire at Groundworks Shelter,” said Executive Director Josh Davis in a news release.
The fire temporarily displaced 18 residents of Groundworks Shelter to the dormitory Groundworks used last winter for the Seasonal Overflow Shelter at the Winston Prouty Center.
Davis added, “We are not yet sure what this setback will cost the organization, and we're looking for any help we can get to cover the costs.”
According to Libby Bennett, Groundworks' development director, Hike for the Homeless is one of the organization's largest annual fundraisers.
Bennett said in years past as many as 150 participants have raised more than $20,000. The fundraising goal for this year's hike is $22,000.