In 2019, of the almost 400K homeless individuals in the US, 200k temporary housing beds were available leaving 50% of them without a place to sleep. On top of that, the homeless population is a criminally ignored and heavily stigmatized group of people. Many do not understand the mental toll that comes with being unable to call a place home. The Race to End Homeless Campaign is meant to bring awareness to the emotional weight of homelessness by providing a more literal, tangible example of said weight and also provide educational material and donation opportunities to those who aren’t homeless.
The Annual Race To End Homelessness is a challenge where participants are tasked with carrying heavy, home-shaped backpacks and complete an obstacle course that would otherwise be simple if they weren’t encumbered by the weight. The event is branded and advertised in the same way a sporting event or marathon would be. Obstacle courses were researched for the map portion.
