Thank you for signing up for the 5th annual Hike for Hesed. Your participation will help hundreds of children, families, men and women gain access to food, shelter and other services to help them transition from homelessness to independent living or maintain their independent living through a crisis, such as loss of a job.  On behalf of all of the individuals and families served, thank you! All funds raised will directly benefit those in the community who are in need and are tax–deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

The 3–mile walk will begin at 10:00 a.m., leaving Hesed House's parking lot, traveling to the Aurora Transportation center, and returning to Hesed House. There will be food and music provided following the hike. This is a family and dog–friendly event! Whether you prefer to power–walk or meander, there's a place for you!

Each individual participant or team will seek sponsors to support their walk. Sponsors may include family, friends, neighbors, co–workers, corporations and more! Anyone collecting $25 or more will receive a Hike for Hesed t–shirt. Any individual or team collecting $1,000 or more will have their name engraved on a plaque for the Donors' Wall of Honor at the new facility located at 680 S. River St.

PADS at Hesed House is the second largest homeless shelter in numbers served in northern Illinois – second only to the City of Chicago. Every night, 180 men, women and children line up outside the doors of Hesed House seeking a place to sleep, shower, do laundry, receive a meal, medical and legal services, and other life–sustaining services. 6,000 volunteers and 70 faith–based communities, businesses and organizations provide manpower and food to feed the homeless and have served over 2 million meals since Hesed House opened its doors.

The AURORA AREA INTERFAITH FOOD PANTRY provides supplemental food and nutritional assistance to individuals and families in need. The Pantry is a safety net that keeps people from going hungry when their financial resources do not allow them to adequately feed themselves, This year has seen a 45% increase in requests for food assistance from the Pantry, which currently distributes up to 50,000 pounds of food each month to persons living in the community. Those served include the recently unemployed or under–employed, the unemployable, seniors on fixed incomes, persons with disabilities or chronic illness, single parents with children at home, and anyone who cannot afford to purchase enough food to meet their nutritional needs.

Through innovative programming, collaboration and community involvement, Hesed House has made significant strides in the last 25 years in fulfilling its mission to provide a central site for ministries that assist the Fox Valley poor and homeless to become self–sufficient. PADS and Hesed House have grown to offer the following continuum of programs and services:

Hesed House is preparing to expand the Comprehensive Homeless Resource Center model where families can literally surround themselves with the services they need to transition from homelessness into stable living situations. Once created, this comprehensive resource model will be unlike any other program in the nation, combining residential programs and a wide array of on–site collaborations with other agencies.

After hike entertainment will be provided by "Chicago Mobile DJs", Marcus A Windsor, owner.