The Beth-El Center hosted their 12 annual Trick or Trot 5K this October 28 to raise money for their nonprofit organization while also bringing joy to the community. The starting point for the 3.1 mile race is Lisman Landing or 37 Helwig Street, Milford CT and the race kicks off at 9:00 AM.
For those under 18, the price is $25 to participate in the race and for the other first 150 registrants the price is $35. With this price comes a free t-shirt, free food and drinks, prizes, etc.
Before the actual 5k starts, there is a Kids “Fun Run” at 8:30. It’s for children 12 and under. This race is free and everyone wins a prize. This is a great way to involve the whole family!
Since this 5k occurs during the Halloween season, there is a festive twist most races don’t have. Participants are encouraged to dress up and so are others who’d just like to take part in the Costume Contest. Some participants bring along pets who are also in costume. For the Costume Contest, it’s divided into four categories. There will be a men’s winner, a women’s winner, a group winner, and a pets winner.
One of the directors of the Beth-El Center is Hamden resident, Jennifer Paradis. She’s been working at the Beth-El center for about nine years, and provided some insight for the origins of the race.
“This originally started as a walk for the homeless. So, all th
e churches would get together and they would walk a mile and it would signify their commitment to ending homelessness in the city.”
The race was originally less of a fundraiser and more of a movement. This lasted around 25 years. Paradis credits Harlow Adams & Friedman and Sikorsky for elevating this original mile walk and really turning it into the 5k fundraising event it is today. These two companies are very big sponsors for the Beth-El Center.
The money the Beth-El center gains off this race goes to their Cold Weather Programming and other aspects of the center. This will help support members throughout the winter months and go towards resources they require.
Last year the Beth-El Center made around $33,000. This year, the homelessness rates have gone up and the amount of members the Beth-El Center holds has increased. Due to this, their goal has increased to $40,000 this year.
Paradis also explained why she felt inclined to become a director of the Beth-El Center. For a period of Paradis’ life, she was homeless. She can relate on a level not many can to people staying at the center.
“Homelessness is something that’s really important to me; simply because I know how it impacts people and young people specifically, and I know how solvable it is.”
Paradis says that not everything is solvable, and homelessness can be. She knows that she has the ability to make a change in this community.
“The Milford community is a community that really supports one another and is interested and motivated to do just that, to talk about solutions, and so, when I came here, I think I came here with the understanding that this was a community that really supported their shelter.”
As this year’s race came to a conclusion, Barbara Mackintosh and St. Joseph seniors, Maya Pinto and Erin Donegan gave some feedback and reflection. Mackintosh is a Milford resident that has been participating in this race for a few years.
“My church used to do monthly dinners [with the homeless], we got connected to folks and it made the situation feel very real.”
Pinto and Donegan participated in this race as a part of them being in the National Honor Society, an organization that recognizes outstanding high school students. They felt the atmosphere of the race was very positive.
“We’re happy and we are ready to go, we have high energy. We live here and wanted to help.”
The 2023 turnout for Trick or Trot was the best Milford’s ever seen. There were over 500 contestants and each and every one contributed to making this Trick or Trot the best one yet.
Although this 5k only occurs once every year, there are plenty of other ways to involve yourself with the Beth-El Center year round. Running a drive in your school, signing up to volunteer on your own time, or running your own fundraiser are all great ways. For more information, you can visit the Beth-El Centers official website: https://www.bethelmilford.org/
Paradis quotes, “[Y]ou just have to walk in the door and realize that the folks that are being served by the Beth-El Center are just like you and me. They’ve just hit barriers in their life that have been really hard to overcome and they’ve needed extra help. Quite honestly, we all need extra help at some point in our life.”
Paradis emphasizes that the most effective way to help the homeless all over the country is to simply just spread awareness. Making homelessness a topic in your day to day conversations does more than you might imagine. If we all contribute to the best of our ability, we will be one step closer to ending homelessness.
“[T]hese are social issues that don’t have to exist and if we prioritize them as a community we can eliminate them.”
