Put on your walking shoes and grab your smartphone to engage in a scavenger hunt to help support people struggling with homelessness.

Christina Armold, grants manager for UMOM, helps hand out T-shirts and bags with goodies for people who have registered for UMOM’s second annual Scavenger Hunt to End Homelessness (photo courtesy of UMOM).

UMOM’s second annual Scavenger Hunt to End Homelessness will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 1 in Phoenix. The hunt allows participants to compete for prizes and enter a raffle by searching for virtual items at home or around their neighborhoods using the Let’s Roam app.

Because the COVID-19 pandemic struck last year, non-profit organizations that typically hold annual in-person fundraising events had to find creative ways to keep generating money while keeping supporters safe. UMOM decided to hold this virtual scavenger hunt to replace its annual Walk the Walk to End Homelessness at the Phoenix Zoo. The non-profit organization holds the world record for the largest thong sandal 1K race from its 2019 event. Its walk last year raised more than $70,000, vital funds that help the organization provide comprehensive support programs to families, single women and youths experiencing homelessness at its shelters around the Valley.

UMOM New Day Centers, which serves Maricopa County, work to prevent and end homelessness with unusual strategies and housing solutions to meet the needs of every family and individual.

Registration fees for access to the hunt are $25 for adults ages 18 and older and $10 for those ages 3 to 17. Register at https://umom.org/sh2021.