Upcoming walks to aid Capital Area Community Services are helping raise awareness and funds for people who may need help keeping their homes warm in the cold, Michigan winter.
The walks span two weekends in five locations and CACS hopes that people understand the stigmas around who they are trying to help.
Jamie O’dell is the supervisor for the Lansing service center at CACS and is directing the walks this year. O’dell knows the stigmas around economic assistance and wants people to know it all depends on the situation.
“The clients that we see aren’t always, well, there’s this stigma that you think the clients that we are helping are the people out there holding the homeless signs but that’s not all true,” said O’dell. “People come from all different backgrounds that need help, all different situations.”
O’dell said with the winter Michigan has had that this is just as important as ever.
“We are trying to raise awareness that there is a need out there for people who are struggling with utility assistance,” said O’dell. “That may or may not be getting denied by the Department of Health And Human Services because they make just make over that amount allowed.”
The walks will happen in Lansing as well as Shiawassee and Clinton Counties on Saturday, February 23. The next batch will happen in Eaton and rural Ingham Counties on Saturday, March 2.
Click on this sentence for information about the walks' start times and registration.
