An artist, gamer, and movie lover, Curtis McLaughlin (above) has been part of the Health Care for the Homeless Art Group for more than five years.
Art is one of my coping skills. I can be anywhere and create art wherever I go.
11.06.17
On Saturday, November 4, hundreds of our friends and neighbors ran, danced, skipped and strutted around Lake Montebello for our 2017 Rock Your Socks to Health & Home 5K. And it was hands down the most successful—and enjoyable—5K to date! Here are some top highlights (and photos!)…
We raised over $65,000 this year—more than any of our previous 5Ks. Thanks to your outreach, organizing and general team spirit, 400-plus people came out for a morning of funky socks and fundraising!
40 Health Care for the Homeless clients took part in the big day, including 12 clients who volunteered to staff the event. Others ran and walked the 2.5 laps around Lake Montebello. “It was awesome to be able to participate in the 5K,” says Health Care for the Homeless client Mickey who came from our Baltimore County clinic.
Our 5K is a little different from most because, for one thing, it’s full of weird socks. And this year was no exception. See more fun socks here.
Arguably, the best part of the morning was Queen D’s warm-up. Think: hip-hop dance class meets Zumba. A special thanks to Queen D for getting the blood flowing and our butts moving before we hit the track.
We truly couldn’t pull off an event like this without our sponsors. A special thanks to our main sponsor Allegis (for the second year in a row!), as well as Venable for making a special contribution. Also thanks to Carefirst, Marriot, Constellation and Road Runner for sponsoring the event.
We had some pretty awesome vendors who donated their goodies (including delicious donuts) and their time to support our neighbors without homes. Our race village was hopping, thanks to these in-kind vendors: Donut Stop Believin’, Charm City Coffee Roasters, Cortiva Institute (formerly the Baltimore School of Massage), Smoothie King and Under Armour.
If you were out at race day, you might have noticed some extra pep coming from our cheer squad. 42 volunteers cheered, gave out water and helped people register during the busy day.
And the winner goes to (cue drum beat)……
Way to go, everyone! Want to see how you fared? Check out your time here.
See more photos from the day here, and thank YOU for helping make this year's 5K a success.
An artist, gamer, and movie lover, Curtis McLaughlin (above) has been part of the Health Care for the Homeless Art Group for more than five years.
Art is one of my coping skills. I can be anywhere and create art wherever I go.
Client storytelling is a staple of the nonprofit business model, ever present in advocacy, clinic tours, fundraising—and news articles like the one you are reading right now.
The Trans Rights Advocacy Coalition (TRAC) has been the driving force in championing trans rights policy changes in Maryland. Due to stigma and structural discrimination, transgender people—particularly transgender people of color—experience high rates of homelessness. Following the implementation of the Trans Health Equity Act in January, we talked with TRAC leadership about their work and community.
Since starting in January 2022, REI Health Specialist Arie Hayre-Somuah, LMSW, MPH has worked with our clinical teams to identify health disparities and move us closer to health equity. This year, she is turning her focus to the topic of health literacy.