Register now to participate in the annual Home of the Sparrow Stars & Strides Challenge to End Homelessness.  

This virtual fundraising event throughout July provides funds to help Home of the Sparrow find housing for women in Chester County who are facing homelessness.  

Participants can register for free as an individual or they can create their own team, or join a team.

You can participate from anywhere—the beach, the lake or the Chester Valley Trail!

Home of the Sparrow is looking to raise $25,000 by having 200 “stars” stride a total of 12 million steps (6,000 miles) and raise $125 each.  Individuals and teams have the entire month of July to complete their goal.  

Think of it as “as a marathon in a month” with each person walking or running a minimum of 26.2 miles (63,000 steps)!

The Stars & Strides Challenge offers a great reason to exercise and help raise awareness about homelessness.

The $25,000 raised will provide supportive housing services and trauma-informed case management, helping five women and their children remain in stable housing for a year.

Create your own fundraising page on social media and invite friends to donate to help reach the $25,000 goal.

You can also share pictures of your experience by tagging Home of the Sparrow and using the hashtag #StarsAndStridesChallenge.

Follow along on social media as Home of the Sparrow highlights you – our stars – and the women who are working toward financial and housing stability.

Awards and Prizes

A Home of the Sparrow Pop-Socket will go to each person who:

• Raises at least $125 or
• Logs at least 250,000 steps (~8,000/day)

Special prizes will go to the top three fundraisers and the top three with the most steps/miles logged

Here’s How It Works

Step 1. Register for free at Charity Footprints and set up your account anytime between now and July 1. Once registered, you will receive a Home of the Sparrow bandanna.

Step 2. Recruit friends, family, or colleagues to also register or create a team for them to join.

Step 3. Track your “strides,” steps or miles starting July 1. There are three ways to track your progress. 

• You can download the free Charity Footprints App.
• Sync your fitness devices (Fitness, Apple Watch, Garmin, Google Fit, Misfit, Strava) or use the health app on your phone.
• Manually enter your steps on your Charity Footprints event page.

Step 4. Share your fundraising page with others so they can support you through donations. Post the link on social media or send it in a text to friends and family.

Also, post your photos so everyone can see you in action and be sure to tag Home of the Sparrow and include #StarsAndStridesChallenge.

Feel free also to post pictures to the Community Scrapbook on the Charity Footprints app or website.

What Your Help Means

Whether you register, create a team, donate or spread the word, your participation will change lives. Event proceeds will provide:

• Financial empowerment by helping women create and manage viable monthly budgets, increase income, if possible, reduce expenses and debt, increase savings, and improve their credit scores
• Provide access to additional programs and services to address non-housing needs
• Help address mental health needs
• Provide ongoing support for Home of the Sparrow graduates so they maintain financial and housing security

About Home of the Sparrow

Home of the Sparrow partners with women facing homelessness to secure housing, achieve long-term stability, and chart new paths for their futures.

Since its beginning Home of the Sparrow has served over 4,300 women in Chester County.

Its services – case management and financial subsidies – help bridge the gap between income and expenses to remove eviction and the trauma of homelessness from the equation.

 Even seemingly insurmountable obstacles can be tackled when someone is willing to help and support you.

Find out more about Stars And Strides to End Homelessness.

Find out more about Home of the Sparrow.