2019 Charity Walk Scheduled for November 24th in Willimantic

On Sunday, November 24th, hundreds of people from the Windham region will take a short two-mile walk through the streets of Willimantic as part of WAIM/Windham Area Interfaith Ministry’s 27th Walk for Warmth. This annual fundraiser and awareness event will raise money for WAIM’s 2019 Energy Assistance Program, a pool of money used to help keep electricity and heat on for many area residents living at or below the poverty line.

According to a May 7, 2019 article published in USA Today, Willimantic was again named the poorest town in Connecticut, https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/money/2019/05/01/poorest-town-in-every-state/39431927/.

Data collected in 2018 shows that 29.9%, or one out of every 3.3, people in Willimantic lives in poverty. This compares to 10.4%, or one out of every 10, people statewide. A staggering of these people are children 0 to 17 years old. Many individuals and families living below the poverty line are forced every day to choose between the most basic necessities and heat, electricity and hot water.

WAIM’s Energy Assistance Program has served as a safety net for low-income working families and individuals in the greater Windham area for the last 27 years, helping keep utilities on in cold weather. WAIM is actively seeking people from the Windham region and throughout Connecticut to support this event. Philanthropic supporters can register online to walk or simply donate at www.waimct.org/events.

• For 4,281 of the 14,351 residents of Willimantic, one unexpected bill can mean the difference between having a warm living space with electricity and choosing between basic needs like utilities, heat, food, housing, childcare or healthcare.

• In Windham County, 24% or more than 10,700 of the 44,734 households qualify as ALICE. ALICE stands for asset-limited, income-constrained, employed – with an annual income somewhere between $11,880 and $24,672. (http://alice.ctunitedway.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Windham-County-_2018-ALICE-9.26.18.pdf)

To meet the ever-increasing needs of residents in financial crisis, the Walk for Warmth is seeking to expand the number of supporters who walk or donate to raise a goal of $40,000 this year. WAIM is inviting individuals, faith-based organizations, schools, colleges, civic/social groups and clubs to step up by stepping out this year.

Participants will meet at the First Congregational Church on Valley Street in Willimantic between 1:00 and 2:15 p.m. on November 24, registering for $25 per walker and delivering additional pledges that friends, family members, co-workers and neighbors have generously contributed toward the cause. An optional interfaith service precedes the walk at 1:30pm, with the walk beginning at about 2:15pm.

“The Walk for Warmth and our Energy Assistance Fund are critical to the lives of so many people in the northeast corner of the state,” explains Victoria Nimirowski, director of WAIM. “After two years of improvement, Connecticut as a whole once again saw its poverty rate rise last year, the only statistically significant increase in the country. And our area is the poorest in the state. Programs that help under-resourced individuals and families are critical to survival in the cold winter months. Because of the money raised by the Walk for Warmth, WAIM can respond immediately to personal financial crises that can be disastrous to area households.”

Since 2007, WAIM has distributed $856,634 in energy assistance to 7,654 people from 2,970 local families. Last year, proceeds from the event helped 500 people from 204 families to access heat, hot water or electricity.

WAIM energy assistance story involves Carol H. (not her real name) who is 69 years old and lives with her disabled daughter. The total household income for the two women is $19,285 annually. Carol came in needing help getting oil to heat her home but could not access state assistance until November 11 when the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program begins. WAIM stepped in and paid for an oil delivery to ensure that Carol coiuld heat her home and have hot water to bathe and cook.

Individuals and organizations interested in participating should contact Evelyn Solla at WAIM, 860-456-7270 ext. 12. People unable to walk can visit www.waimct.org/events to donate online.

For more information, visit www.waimct.org or follow the event on Facebook @WAIMwalk or @WAIMonFB, on Twitter @WAIMwalk, or on Instagram @waimwalk.