Three first-year Morehead-Cain Scholars at UNC recently began a new project aiming to help homeless shelters across North Carolina.

Class of 2024 students Andrea Cornel, Katy Waddell and Molly Dorgan have launched a charity called Heels for the Homeless, according to the Morehead Foundation, to raise money for local homeless shelters and awareness on issues surrounding homelessness.

“When the three of us first started looking for ways to help those affected by homelessness,” Cornel said in a release, “we learned that many shelters around the Triangle Area were struggling with a lack of COVID-19-specific support, especially when it came to having enough face masks.”

To specifically help address that problem, Heels for the Homeless is holding a fundraiser this month where all proceeds will go toward buying reusable masks that will be donated to shelters. The charity’s first event, The Great Mask Run, will be held between October 26 through October 31 as a virtual 5K race.

According to the organizers, participants can don their favorite mask to run five kilometers on their own time, tracking their progress through the Heels for the Homeless club on the popular running app Strava. Tickets for entry into the content is $15 per runner, says the charity, with the first 100 people signing up earning a free t-shirt.

Heels for the Homeless says it is collaborating with organizations and educational institutions throughout the southeast to create additional fundraisers and services to benefit homeless shelters. According to the release, at least two others are already planned for the coming months.

In December, the charity will be holding a “packing party” over Zoom where participants can pack care kits to be distributed at homeless shelters. Starting in January, Heels for the Homeless plans to release a subscription service for how-to videos and education-based content through their website. Organizers describe the series as a way to combine learning opportunities with chances to directly help local shelters and organizations. The charity’s release says the series will feature UNC faculty, experts and students, as well as contributors from other nearby schools and other members of the Carolina community.

Registration for the Great Mask Run 5K event, as well as additional information about the charity, can be found on the Heels for the Homeless website.

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