Albionites have invented quite a few different traditions and events. One of them is Walk for Warmth, where volunteers get pledges to raise money for local residents struggling to pay the cost of heating their home.
On Saturday, February 24th, 2018, the home of Walk for Warmth celebrated the 33rd annual fundraising event for Community Action. Each year, Community Action of South Central Michigan raises money to help keep the heat on for families, the elderly, and people with disabilities in Barry, Branch, Calhoun, and St. Joseph counties.
Pictured below are the participants of Albion’s 2018 Walk for Warmth, outside of the First United Methodist Church on Michigan Avenue.
In Albion during February 1983, Pastor Tim Kurtz, then Community Action Coordinator, held a 24-hour walk to raise funds and awareness of the need for heating assistance. “Helping the Poor in 24” was his motto. Pastor Kurtz’s dedication to supporting the most vulnerable in a critical way has made a tremendous impact.
Over the years, the event has grown to provide household utility relief across the nation, ranging from Lexington, KY to Willimantic, CT. The funds generated through this event provide assistance in the form of deliverable fuel, metered gas or electric.
In 2017, 19 families and 57 family members from the Albion, Marshall, and Homer region were helped from the funds raised during Walk for Warmth that year. 52% of the households assisted last year had children and 31% had seniors. The average assistance provided by Community Action was $275.84.
For more information and to support the cause, please visit Community Action’s website: https://www.caascm.org/menus/walk-for-warmth.html
