Hope goes walking

New Zealand residential care program, A Girl Called Hope, is hosting a nationwide 5km fundraising walk to raise funds for the care of women facing issues such as abuse, depression, self-harm, eating disorders, addictions and unplanned pregnancy.

Aptly named, ‘Walk for Hope’; the event will see New Zealanders donning their walking shoes to help young Kiwi women on the road to recovery from life-controlling issues.

Kicking off in Blenheim and Tauranga on Saturday October 15th, the walk will continue Saturday October 22nd in Wellington. The final leg will be October 29th for those in Russell, Hamilton, Whangarei, New Plymouth and Auckland.

Over the past seven years the fundraiser has successfully raised more than $200,000 for the charity. Executive Director Kerry Petrie says the walk is a fantastic opportunity for Kiwis to directly help young New Zealand women.

“Although it can be difficult to walk a mile in the shoes of person suffering from a life-controlling issue, we all want to be able to do something to help. This is a relatively short walk and the funds raised through sponsorship will go a long way towards helping our young women reach their full potential in life,” she says.

With more than 1000 people expected to participate in the event, funds are raised through a modest registration fee and participants finding people to sponsor their walk. All proceeds will go directly towards the operating costs of the 100 per cent privately funded Auckland-based residential care programme.

Kerry says; “Girl Called Hope aims to address the whole person: spiritual, physical and emotional and social. Our goal is to have each young woman not only complete the programme but also discover the purpose for her life and bring value to her community as a productive citizen.”

“I really encourage everyone who can to participate in the Walk for Hope knowing that every sponsorship dollar you raise will directly help transform lives and restore hope.”

A Girl Called Hope provides counselling services based on Christian values, training in life principals, social skills, nutrition and fitness, and is free-of-charge to women aged 16 to 28 years from around the country. The voluntary programme typically lasts six months.