If you have been connected to the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program for at least a few years, chances are, you’ve been to a Harmony Walk – this is GRIP’s most high-profile and biggest yearly community fundraising event, and has been going on in Richmond since 1986. In fact, there are a few dedicated members of GRIP’s partner congregations who have been coming to the Harmony Walk for all 36 years!
This year’s Harmony Walk will take place at Nicholl Park in Richmond on Saturday, October 28th.
While the days of falling leaves, apple cider, and pumpkins may seem far away right now, our Harmony Walk committee has been working excitedly since February to plan and organize this year’s event.
You may recall that many past Harmony Walks involved a 5k timed run, often with the impetus to “sponsor” runners and walkers as a part of the fundraising efforts. This year, organizers are taking a slightly different approach. Since the Bay Area has enjoyed a late summer over the last few years, this year’s Harmony Walk attendees can look forward to a picnic-style event with classic BBQ fare; volunteers will be grilling up hamburgers, hotdogs, veggies, and other goodies, and serving special treats from sponsoring local businesses.
The goal of this year’s Harmony Walk is to showcase an even fuller range of some of Richmond’s (and the broader East Bay’s) best businesses, community-based organizations, and more. Those who come to the park for the festivities will be encouraged to bring picnic blankets and chairs and to kick back, relax, and enjoy the music, guest speakers, food, the vendor booths, kids’ activities, and the raffle drawing. Of course, it wouldn’t be the Harmony Walk without a walk of some sort; attendees will have the option to participate in a short, 1-mile-or-so walk from Nicholl Park down to the GRIP shelter and back. There, walkers will have the opportunity, like last year, to step inside and learn more about the day-to-day, on-the-ground work that GRIP staff do to keep community members housed and fed.
We hope to see you out there on October 28th!
Bring your family, friends, faith community members, coworkers, dogs… the list goes on. If you are interested in getting involved in any way – whether that’s tabling for your business, offering a sponsorship or raffle prize, volunteering for the day of the event, etc. – please reach out to our committee Chair Jilly de la Torre at [email protected] or call GRIP at (510) 233-2141.
We also want to continue to thank our 2022 sponsors and encourage more businesses and groups to join their leaderhip.
Chevron:
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- Chevron is one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies. We believe affordable, reliable, and ever-cleaner energy is essential to achieving a more prosperous and sustainable world.
- $4.2 million spend in 2020-2021 to support organizations improving the quality of life in Richmond and west county.
- 17,216 volunteer hours from staff 2019-2021
- $35 million being invested over 10 years to make college attainable for local students
Kaiser Permanente:
Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente headquartered in Oakland, California has nearly 13 million members, 39 hospitals and 734 medical offices. Kaiser has nearly 24-thousand doctors and 65-thousand nurses, with 220-thousand total employees.
Sims Metal:
Sims Metal is one of the world’s leading metal and electronics recyclers with more than 200 facilities, operations in 18 countries, and 4,000 employees globally. As a responsible corporate citizen, we continuously seek new ways to broaden our participation in the environmental sector.
Mechanics Bank:
Mechanics Bank is committed at its core to its communities, supporting everything from Boys and Girls Clubs, Junior Achievement and offering “Investing in Today’s Youth” financial literacy training in the curriculum of six public high schools in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Mechanics Bank supports economic development for low-income, minority, and women-owned businesses. Employees donated 875 volunteer hours in 2019 alone, much of it on the clock.
East Bay MUD:
The East Bay Municipal Utility District has a proud history of providing high-quality drinking water for 1.4 million customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. EBMUD’s wastewater system serves 740,000 customers and helps protect the ecosystem of San Francisco Bay. EBMUD is a not-for-profit public agency established in 1923.
ABC7 is an owned-and-operated television station, website, and news organization owned by Disney. In 2022, ABC7 proudly supported the Harmony Walk both through the promotions and event staff and with editorial coverage of GRIP’s work, interviewing executive director Ralph Payton on their mid-day news. Julian Glover hosted the Harmony Walk, introducing our VIP guests, the Richmond High School Marching Band and our GRIP leadership.
Audacy:
Audacy is America’s #1 creator of original premium content, with 200 million listeners each month and 2 billion annual podcast downloads. In the Bay Area, Audacy runs six stations and has as sports partnership with the Golden State Warriors. Stations include everything from KCBS All News 106.9 FM and Alice 97 point 3, to 95 point 7 The Game and 102 Jams.
The San Francisco Chronicle:
The San Francisco Chronicle is the largest newspaper in Northern California, the second largest on the West Coast, and each month reaches over 6 million users across the country. Acquired by Hearst in 2000, the San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 by Charles and Michael de Young and has been awarded six Pulitzer Prizes for journalistic excellence.
SFGATE is the most-read news source in Northern California, and runs independently of the Chronicle, with the same parent company, Hearst.
At Hearst, we believe in conducting good business, looking after our people and taking care of the communities we serve.
Hearst not only gives away over 50 million dollars through the Hearst Foundation, it ADDITIONALLY matches all employee donations to any 501-c-3 of their choice up to 10,000 per employee. And, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Season of Sharing foundation has given away $163 million dollars in the past 3 decades to those in need.
About GRIP:
- Caring for 15,000 homeless and hungry people across western Contra Costa County
- 1,050 volunteers
- Staff of 18
- Sheltering 65 people, plus veterans’ housing
- 41 member congregations
- Founded in 1966 as a soup kitchen. We opened the 65-bed shelter in 1993.
- We process some 5,000 pieces of mail a year, provide 2400 showers in addition to those of our residents, and are approaching 72,000 outreach events like providing lunch or other services a year.
GRIP mission statement:
“GRIP provides a safe & nourishing place that helps transform those who are unsheltered and in need move toward self-sufficiency.”
