Public invited to 10th annual Walk for Health & Housing
TRAVERSE CITY — The community is invited to join NMC students on Wednesday, Nov. 19 for the tenth annual Walk for Health and Housing, a guided tour of downtown Traverse City from the perspective of people experiencing homelessness and the providers who serve them.
Ryan Hannon, leader of Central Outreach, will lead participants on the 90-minute walk departing from the rear entrance of Central United Methodist Church, 222 Cass St., at 6 p.m. Nov. 19. Central Outreach is a hub of services for people without housing in the area. Tour stops will highlight service and volunteering opportunities, including the Government Center, where participants will learn ways citizens can provide input and get involved.
Free parking will be available beginning at 5 p.m. in Municipal Parking Lot B on North Cass Street.
The walk is a part of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, happening Nov. 16-20. Led by NMC faculty Lisa Blackford, Brandon Everest, and Melissa Sprenkle, students in NMC social work, sociology and English classes have collaborated on projects to support the week since 2015.
In addition to the walk, this year’s activities include individual and group community service, an underwear/sock drive, development of awareness posters and engagement with community leaders in a series of panel discussions on understanding homelessness, housing insecurity and food insecurity. All activities are examples of Experiential Learning at NMC. EL actively engages the learner through relevant and ongoing experiences, critical problem solving and reflective practices.
In addition to NMC and CUMC, the walk is sponsored by the Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness.
Release date: November 5, 2025
For more information:
Lisa Blackford
Faculty, Social Sciences Area
lblackford@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1294