Saturday
January 17, 2009

Registration begins at 8:30 am
The Walk begins at 9:00 am
and ends at 1:00 pm
First United Methodist Church
2 South College St , Athens

What is it?
A walk to educate the public (children, youth and adults) about the reality of homelessness and poverty in southeastern Ohio and to generate needed financial support for the Good Works Timothy House, a shelter for the rural homeless in Athens, Ohio. The Timothy House serves homeless people from nine southeast Ohio counties.

How will the money be used?
All the money raised by individuals participating in the Walk will be used to assist the homeless through the Good Works Timothy House, where almost 75% of our funds come from private donations.

How can I get involved?

1. Participate in the Walk. We are asking each participant to find 10 people who will sponsor them on the Walk by donating $10 each.
2. BE A CHEERLEADER!! Help promote the walk by asking friends to participate in the Walk with you. Ask each of your friends to find 10 sponsors of their own.

For more information about where to pick up your fundraising packets, or to get more info about the Walk, call us at 594-3339 or email us at goodworks@good-works.net.

Good Works Inc.
A Community of Hope Since 1981
P.O. Box 4
Athens , Ohio 45701

(740) 594-3339

"Values"

"Not Too Small"

"Make a Difference"

"Participant Experience"

SATURDAY, JANUARY 19th 2008, the WALK for the HOMELESS included three different educational WALKS, which went on at the same time.
Each walk left First United Methodist Church in Athens around 9:00 am and returned around 11:30 am. A rice and beans lunch was served at 11:45 followed by a talk by Keith Wasserman, the founder of Good Works. The length of each WALK varied, but most WALKS were under 3 miles. As in years past, current and former homeless people served as guides in the educational process.

THE KIDS WALK. You are never too young to start making the world a better place. Without understanding the circumstances of others, it is impossible to feel empathy. Good Works created an educational experience ideally suited to introducing young people to the problems of poverty and homelessness. This fun, educational, and interactive experience enabled children, along with their parents, to learn together about the situations that many of their neighbors face on a daily basis. This unique opportunity allowed children to learn about the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and how many of his beliefs have never been truer than they are today.

THE MYTH WALK.  Think you know why people are poor and often become homeless? How about how poverty effects those in Appalachian Ohio? Curious about how wealth relates to poverty? Good Works created an educational experience that dispelled many of the commonly held myths about poverty and homelessness—and even some about the wealthy. Myths and misconceptions about poverty make it all the more difficult for those experiencing homelessness to overcome their situations. This year’s Walk sought to educate participants with the knowledge everyone needs for an informed position on homelessness and poverty. In addition to dispelling myths, the Walk incorporated the social justice teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. into the contemporary discussion of poverty.

THE MINI WALK.  Some of our citizend would like to participate in the Walk for the Homeless but didn’t think they could stay on your feet for all of it. Good Works created the perfect opportunity for them. Good Works offered a Mini Walk that included a very brief walk, followed by a video that generated a worthwhile and informative conversation about the plight of the homeless and the struggles of those in poverty. Good Works staff lead the discussion, and also educated participants about the realities of the poor in our region and our country.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT THE WALK

• Make a decision to do the walk on Saturday, January 17th, 2009. Plan to arrive by 8:30 am at the First United Methodist Church in uptown Athens. There is free parking on the top two floors of the Athens Parking Garage.
• Plan to do the WALK!  To do the walk means that you find at least 10 people who will sponsor you at $10 each. Our goal is for each walker to bring in $100.
• Be a "cheerleader" for the WALK by announcing it and promoting the WALKin your classes, among friends, in clubs, in your hometown, and among your family.
• Volunteer to assist in the promotion of the WALK. Contact Cory Blackwell
  at goodworks@good-works.net or by phone at 740-594-3339.

• Good Works was established by Keith Wasserman during his senior year at Ohio University in 1981.
• Today, Good Works has 18 different volunteer opportunities where volunteers can serve once a week, once a month and once a year. For a detailed description, click here.
• Good Works Timothy House provided 156 homeless men, women and children with emergency shelter in 2006.
• January 1st, 2008 marks the beginning of the 28th year for Good Works, Inc.
• Good Works provides an estimated 17,000 meals to the hungry and homeless each year primarily through donations from people like YOU!
• Good Works is a FAITH BASED organization supported by more than 250 churches. The Timothy House is named after the biblical New Testament book called Timothy and a real person named Timothy who lives in Athens.
• The Timothy House is the only shelter for homeless people in nine counties in southeast Ohio. 85% of those who stay at The Timothy House are from the counties we serve here in Southeast Ohio.
• The Timothy House operates 24 hours daily and is staffed by nine employees and a volunteer community of about 50-60 people who serve each month.
• The cost to operate The Timothy House is about $180,000 a year. We receive about $60,000 from a grant and we must raise $120,000 each year.
• The Timothy House is one of the many outreach ministries of Good Works, Inc.

WORLD POVERTY AND HUNGER

We are starting to build a educational section on our site to provide information about  the broader issues of hunger and poverty.

• World Hunger Statistics from the United Nations World Food Program
• World Hunger PDF
• Neighboring 101 is a class  which examines the issues of poverty offered by the Good Works community to the public every Thursday at The Timothy House. Lunch is provided. Please RSVP.