First ever Winter Walk shares Homeless experiences, stories
The first Winter Walk took place Sunday, Feb. 12 seeking to address the needs of Boston’s homeless community and share the real stories and struggles of this population.
As we trudge through the coldest month of the year, thankful for many luxuries we deem standard commodities, our city’s homeless individuals are faced with the terrible reality of New England’s harsh winter weather.
The event’s funders, including Boston entrepreneur Paul English, co-founder of Kayak, really wanted participants to feel and experience what it’s like for the homeless during brutal conditions, which is why they chose to host the event during February.
Many of us take for granted having a warm and safe place to wake up in everyday, forgetting the thousands of people who camp out in the door steps of local businesses and in our MBTA stations. The Winter Walk served as a reminder of our unnoticed privileges.
In an article published last year by the New Boston Post the was a spike in the homeless population from previous years that conveyed a 5.6 percent increase in 2015. In that year, the homeless census accounted for 7,663 men, women, and children without a permanent place of residence. There was also a 25 percent jump in homeless families.
