In an average week, a person sleeping rough walks a distance of 28 kilometres looking for a place to sleep. This is the reality for some of the 116,000* people who are sleeping rough in Australia (*ABS Census 2016).
The Long Walk Home is the Wayside Chapel’s major fundraising event and involves a 28-kilometre walk from Parramatta to Kings Cross.
It’s a chance for people to put themselves in the shoes of people experiencing homelessness by walking the same distance.
Since it launched in 2018, thousands of people have participated, and raised over $1.5 million for the charity’s work with people experiencing homelessness, addiction, social isolation and mental health issues.
In 2022, the Long Walk Home is a hybrid event. Meaning: You can join an afternoon/evening walk from Parramatta to Kings Cross at 4pm on Friday October 7 or walk 28 kilometres virtually from Saturday October 1 until Friday October 7 in a path of your choosing, anywhere and anytime.
Participants log their kilometres on their Long Walk Home dashboard with Strava, FitBit or manually. There are also social media tiles and other resources to help participants promote their fundraising efforts.
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