Smith Mountain Lake Walk to End Poverty 2026

Description

Together We Can Make a Difference for Our Neighbors in Need!

Double Your Donation with a $1 for $1 Challenge Match for Programs and Services that Impact Poverty

The annual SML Walk to End Poverty is Saturday, September 20, at Smith Mountain Lake State Park. The 5k and 10k walk or run event is organized by Lake Christian Ministries (LCM). Proceeds from team and individual fundraising efforts support LCM’s services aimed at assisting local neighbors struggling with poverty.

Lake Christian Ministries' programs and services have helped vulnerable families through tough times for 32 years. Over the past three years, we have seen a 58% increase in the number of services provided for local families. Sadly, the largest segment of our service growth has come from young families with children. During this same time, we have seen a 74% increase in the number of children who received food assistance and benefited from financial aid for housing and utility restoration.

A growing number of local families are unable to pay the bills each month even though they have jobs. Over the past three years, the cost of living has been rising much faster than paychecks and a substantial percentage of our local population is living in a state of constant financial stress. We are seeing an extraordinary amount of economic suffering in the lake community. Lake Christian Ministries is one of the few rural nonprofits that works in a comprehensive way to stabilize families with food, financial aid, job assistance, and community connections. To address the growing demand for our services, we need your support.

To help, the SML Walk to End Poverty sponsors are offering a "Matching Challenge". This challenge provides a $1 for $1 match for the first $50,000 donated by the community. The goal is to generate a total of $100,000 for services to assist vulnerable families struggling with the economic crisis.

Help us maximize your support when your donation can be doubled with a matching challenge. Together, we can make a greater impact during a difficult year for a growing number of local families in need.