On Sunday Sarah’s Circle was probably the only social service organization hoping for a bitterly cold day.
They got sunshine and temperatures approaching 40° F, but they were still happy.
Sunday was Sarah’s Circle’s 17th annual Winter Walk, a fund and awareness raising event. Normally, the walk brings a long column of people out into the cold of Chicago winters to get people thinking about what it is like for the homeless to spend a night outside. Organizers still considered this year a success, even with the warm weather.
The walk drew 148 people and raised nearly $6,000, according to Sarah’s Circle board member Mandy Zaransky.
Zaransky started volunteering at Sarah’s eight years ago and rose to be its president and is now a board member. She has seen volunteers raise families and bring their young children to the walk year after year. Among the many children at this years walk, two young boys threw a football back and forth as they walked, sometimes over other participants.
Sarah’s Circle provides a wide range of services for its clients including case management, trauma counseling, art therapy, assistance finding housing, and a place to have a meal and keep warm during the day.
“[Sarah's Circle] helps women become the people they are capable of becoming,” Zaransky said.
Larisa Odak, 51, is a client of Sarah’s Circle and joined in the walk Sunday. Odak, a widow, came to Chicago to study at Northeastern Illinois University, but after her car, along with most of her possessions, was stolen she was forced to quit classes and look for a job. She has now been homeless for a month.
On the weekends, Odak is a live-in caretaker but spends her weeknights in a shelter run by REST. She has a case manager at Sarah’s and said that she has received food and clothes from them. Odak said Sarah’s is necessary for her.
“This is like sun,” she said in a thick Eastern European accent. “We forgot whole unhappy situation.”
After the walk, participants were served Chicago-style hot dogs and asked to write on paper cut outs who they walked for that day. The cut-outs were taped to a wall under the heading “I walk in the name of…”
Some of the responses:
“I walk for Marlene who’s still homeless, but still alive.” – Eileen
“I walk for my mother who was homeless and still lives one paycheck away from homelessness.”
“I’m walking for all the women who have ever been abused by their mates.”
A short teenager with black hair went to the board and posted a blue foot with one word written on it.
“Me.”
For pictures of these cut-outs and more check out the album on the Chicago Homeless Blog Flickr page.
Check out a video from the event and more from Zaransky about the walk and what Sarah’s Circle does.
Sarah’s Circle Winter Walk 2009 from Andre Francisco on Vimeo.
The next fund raising event for Sarah’s Circle is a blues night at Buddy Guy’s Legends on Fed. 26. with The John Primer Band. For more information contact Caitlin Joycesmith at 773-728-1991 x303.
