Sunday 5K in Freehold to Rebuild Lives

You can help disabled veterans and/or young people addicted to drugs and alcohol this weekend by participating in the “Running to Rebuild” 5K Run and Walk on Sunday, Oct. 9 in Freehold. The event is rain or shine and begins at 8:45 a.m. behind the Monmouth County Courthouse. The course winds through the town and finishes on Main Street.

High school students may be particularly interested in signing up, as a student from the school that produces the most participants will be selected to receive a $500 scholarship to put towards any educational pursuit.

Running to Rebuild benefits Homes for Our Troops, a non-profit organization that builds custom homes for physically-disabled veterans, and the “Right Your Life” Project Initiative, which aims to help students struggling with drug and alcohol addiction.

The Taunton, Mass-based Homes for Our Troops gathers hundreds of volunteers and suppliers who commit their time, labor and materials towards the construction of specially-adapted homes. For many new veterans, these highly customized homes will be the place they heal, begin physical therapy, and start to build new dreams for tomorrow. Even with extensive donations, it costs Homes for Our Troops approximately $250,000 to build each home. Those costs are higher in New Jersey, given the price of land and building permit approvals. 

More than 60 homes have been built nationwide, including four in New Jersey, and another 40 homes are currently under construction. As the newest home in New Jersey was dedicated last December in Union Beach, area residents got to see first hand how community outreach helps people rebuild their lives. Still, there is no shortage of disabled veterans who need these homes. West Monmouth Cares, a non-profit charitable organization founded by Keller Williams Real Estate agents in Freehold, is dedicating its fundraising efforts to the next Monmouth County home. 

The “Right Your Life” Project is a program initiative that promises to offer at-risk youth struggling with success in school a place to go when where people understand their challenges and will mentor them toward a productive, physical and emotional healthy life free of the corrosive effects of drug and alcohol addiction. The hope is to create a place which will help these struggling teens believe in themselves and come to learn they have options and skills that can further their future.  The creation of this effort is just beginning and your support is needed.

"Everybody knows someone struggling with drugs and alcohol," says Kathleen Loures, of West Monmouth Cares. "When these kids are suspended from school for their behavior, they often have no place to go and end up finding trouble. We'd like to provide an alternative."  

Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. Sunday, or can be done through Jersey Shore Running Club. It is free for anyone 10 and under, $15 for anyone 10 to 18, and $25 for adults.

If you are interested in volunteering or want to know more about the programs, contact Kathleen Loures at Kloures@aol.com