More than 8,300 people participated in the annual Thanksgiving Day Father Joe's Villages 5k run and walk in Balboa Park.
Officials with the event told KOGO News the total donations had surpassed $530,000 dollars. The goal for the Run for Hope was $550,000.
All Thanksgiving 5K proceeds, San Diego’s original and longest-standing event dedicated to this cause, will further help Father Joe's Villages in providing meals to individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
According to Father Joe's Villages, on any given night in San Diego, there are nearly 10,000 people experiencing homelessness in our city, according to the Regional Task Force on Homelessness. Many of our neighbors in need are also struggling with food insecurity, which can be an obstacle to exiting homelessness for many and an undue burden on others.
For many families, this can present the tough decision of whether to feed their loved ones or pay one of the other costs of living in one of the most expensive metropolitan areas in the country.
Father Joe’s Villages knows that preventing and ending homelessness one life at a time begins with addressing basic needs, including food security, housing and health care. Through its Franklin Antonio Public Lunch Program and other emergency food programs, the organization provides hundreds of people each day with warm meals and companionship.
(Photos Cliff Albert)