Linn County’s 8th annual Sleep Out for the Homeless raised nearly $11,000 for area programs that provide emergency shelter and transitional housing for the homeless. Organizers of the annual Sleep Out will present checks from the money raised by the 2013 Sleep Out to nine local programs on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 10 a.m. at the Linn County Community Services Building, 1240 26th Ave. Ct. SW in Cedar Rapids.
“Although donations were down from the previous year, we raised nearly $11,000 that will be distributed equally among the participating agencies,” said Ann Hearn, deputy director of Community Planning for Linn County Community Services. “These donations will help provide shelter and services for people and families in Linn County who are homeless, and we are very pleased to contribute to that important mission.”
The following programs will receive a check from the money raised by the 2013 Sleep Out:
• Catherine McAuley Center
• Catholic Worker House
• Cedar House Shelter
• Foundation 2 Youth Shelter
• HACAP Transitional Housing
• Mission of Hope
• Salvation Army Emergency Lodging Program
• Waypoint Services Madge Philips Center
• Willis Dady Emergency Shelter
The Sleep Out, sponsored by Linn County Veteran Affairs, Linn County Community Services and Community Circle of Care, was held in Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013. More than 200 participants (a record number) slept-out on the concourse in cardboard boxes to raise awareness of homelessness and to generate funds for nine area programs that serve those who are homeless.
The Linn County Continuum of Care Planning & Policy Council’s most recent Homeless Point-in-Time report for July 31, 2013, found a total of 416 individuals were served by local emergency shelters, transitional housing facilities and permanent supportive housing programs, or found living on the street. This number is among the highest on record in the last five years and provides a snapshot of the homeless situation on a particular day or a given “point-in-time.”
Planning for the 2014 Sleep-Out, which will be held at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014, is currently underway.