Latest news with #WalkforHope
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Raising the flag in Scranton to mark start of Pride Month
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — In Scranton, officials raised the rainbow flag on the grounds of City Hall to mark the start of Pride Month. The city has been holding this ceremony since 2018. They consider it a symbolic show of support and inclusion, and to demonstrate the Electric City's commitment to the LGBTQ+ community. 'We've always had support from the city and its members and we're happy to see that continue as well as our community members coming out every year to celebrate the first day of Pride,' Queer NEPA Fundraising and Social Media Chair Lindsy Smigel told 28/22 News. Ruth's Place postpones Walk for Hope 'I think it's more important than ever to show solidarity and equality amongst everybody, and it's really nice to have the city of Scranton's support, continued support on that,' Frank Carey, performing as 'Lady Lydia,' explained. The pride flag will remain displayed throughout the month at Scranton City Hall. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Organization to hold walk for only 24/7 women's shelter
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— Preparations are underway for an annual walk that raises awareness about women's homelessness in northeastern Pennsylvania. This is Volunteers of America Pennsylvania largest fundraiser to support Ruth's Place in Wilkes-Barre. It is the only 24/7 emergency shelter for women in Luzerne County. Annual Miss Unico Pageant kicked off in Luzerne County The event invites people to come to Wilkes-Barre's Public Square and walk a route many women may take who are experiencing homelessness. It also brings awareness to the growing number of people experiencing homelessness locally. 'We're all ages. All backgrounds. Some come from poor families. Some come from families that got money,' explained April Lemmie, Ruth's Place resident. 'So you wanna make sure that as a community, we work to rally around shelters like Ruth's Place to make sure that they're here,' added Crystal Kotlowski, senior director, Volunteers of America Pennsylvania. The Walk for Hope steps off Saturday, May 31 at 1:00 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Times
20-05-2025
- Health
- Business Times
New initiative Walk for Hope aims to raise S$500,000 for those in need
[SINGAPORE] Charity organisation Ray of Hope launched Walk for Hope on Tuesday (May 20) to raise about S$500,000 for various marginalised groups. The 6 kilometre island-wide walkathon is set to take place on Jul 26, and aims to rally around 2,000 participants including individuals, walking community groups, schools and corporate partners. The funds will go towards serving a range of individuals from marginalised groups, such as migrant workers, foreign domestic workers, and lower-income families and individuals. Walk for Hope also aims to raise awareness of the social issues they face. In an interview with The Business Times, Dr Alicia Altorfer-Ong, executive director of Ray of Hope, said that the charity serves 'emerging and unmet needs' in the community. 'That's fairly broad, because we know that for as long as there's a policy, there will be those who fall outside of it – either that, or they don't have enough support in spite of receiving some. They might be, for example, migrant workers who face a sudden medical crisis or a family which suddenly encounters a fire and loses everything.' Ray of Hope's beneficiaries have mid to severe needs, she noted, adding that they usually have no other alternative forms of help. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up The registration fee to join Walk for Hope is S$60 per person, but Dr Ong acknowledged that this alone will not hit the S$500,000 target. For this initiative, she hopes to tap peer-to-peer campaigns, where participants can bring onboard more people – such as friends, family members and colleagues – to join. Ray of Hope is Singapore's only crowdfunding charity, where it is referred cases and each one is verified by case workers. They conduct home visits, evaluate the potential beneficiary's situation and contact other stakeholders who may be involved before launching a crowdfunding campaign on their own online platform. Dr Ong noted: 'Unlike other crowdfunding platforms, which are for profit, we ensure that 100 per cent of donations go to clients on our platform. (Walk for Hope) is one way that we can get enough funds for our operations, which include case management and meeting the clients where they are.' In addition to one crowdfunding campaign per individual, Ray of Hope also organises community-building events. It has run several pilot programmes for various marginalised groups to engage with the community on a larger scale. One such example is Kopi Teh Morning. 'We involved three youths on the autism spectrum, and over the last year, we brought them to 16 engagement sessions with four different corporates so that they could have social engagement opportunities in a professional setting,' Dr Ong said, adding that the charity hopes to scale up this programme this year. The youths are now able to qualify for day activity centres or sheltered workshops after this additional exposure. Many of Ray of Hope's community-building events are tied to festivals or special occasions, such as Chinese New Year or Ramadan. The charity involves former clients who become volunteers and continues to engage them. Dr Ong added: '(Community-building) is designed to give people the resources and cash in hand, and include them in a broader community through volunteer efforts and events.' Since 2012, Ray of Hope has raised around S$21 million and helped more than 1,200 families. Those interested in registering for Walk for Hope can visit
