Some people are talking the talk with the homeless. Others are walking the walk.
Father Joe’s Villages’ A Short Walk Home, the first 2.1-mile charity walk to end homelessness, will take place Saturday, Aug. 5 from 8 to 11 a.m. starting at the Embarcadero Marina Park, 200 Marina Park Way. Marchers will walk through a giant door at the finish line.
March participants are forming teams and working together with family, friends and neighbors to support Father Joe’s Villages’ mission on this charity walk. All contributions will help Father Joe’s Villages move individuals and families off the streets and into their own permanent homes.
Two Peninsulans are marching for the homeless on Aug. 5.
Point Loman Ann Wieczorek is leading a team of walkers, including her daughter and several women from her church. Calling themselves “Heart of Gold,” the team has already fundraised more than $300, earning a spot in the top five fundraisers so far. 
Obecian Ann Link regularly volunteers at Father Joe’s Villages. She is now leading a team of walkers calling themselves “Leading Ladies.” Her team has already raised more than $600 – the second highest fundraising effort thus far.
Together, these two women are rallying Point Loma and Ocean Beach to tackle San Diego’s homelessness crisis. 
Link first got involved with Father Joe’s Villages when she retired five years ago. 
“I wanted to do something to help our community and it seems like we have a disproportionately large homeless population in San Diego. I wanted to know why and what was being done about it,” she said. “I chose Father Joe’s Villages because they are a well-established non-profit and seem to be tackling the homeless problem in a comprehensive, thoughtful way.  The more I got involved, the more impressed I was.”
Link noted Father Joe’s offers a plethora of volunteer opportunities, everything from helping people find permanent housing to food service and administrative work.
“The work itself is not glamorous — I hand out towels and toilet articles, and distribute mail,” Link said. “But I try to be a pleasant, reliable contact, try to learn people’s names, be a good listener and support the full-time staff in any way that I can. I am humbled by their dedication to the homeless.”
Wieczorek is general counsel at Father Joe’s Villages. She got involved because “I felt a need to do something more for my sisters and brothers. When the opportunity arose to work with Father Joe’s Villages, which is not only a great cause but also a San Diego institution, I jumped on it quickly. I saw this as an opportunity to combine really living my faith with my profession. My motivation is simple: to help serve others.”
Wieczorek said the purpose of a Short Walk Home is to “Spread the work of FJV’s mission: ending homelessness one life at a time. It’s intended to benefit all of FJV’s efforts throughout San Diego.  In my own ‘neck of the woods,’ Ocean Beach and Point Loma communities have seen a significant increase in homelessness, to the point where homelessness awareness and issues surrounding homelessness constitute some of the central issues facing the community, and certainly some of the most discussed issues.”
Wieczorek added, “Rents have increased, pushing more and more individuals out on the street. We love San Diego and our community, but we can’t be blind to the significant problems facing the margins of our society – and I should mention those margins are getting bigger.  On our part, I’ve created a team called ‘Heart of Gold’ made up of the men and women of Sacred Heart Church in OB. We will walk together on Aug. 5 in support of FJV’s mission.”
For more information, visit http://my.neighbor.org/charity-walking-event-short-walk-home/.