Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach (mtko.org/events) is hosting Shine the Light: An Encounter with Homelessness on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at Antelope Park.
All are welcome to join the one-mile, family- and group-friendly walk, designed to step into a story and witness the journey of homelessness.
Three lives. Three journeys. One powerful night of awareness.
“One of our core values at Matt Talbot is compassion,” said Executive Director Alynn Sampson. “We invite the community to join us in seeking to genuinely understand and help alleviate the suffering associated with homelessness, especially during the cold winter months.”
The walk will begin at 6 p.m. on the walking path by the South Antelope Park Enclosed Shelter near the playground. Free parking is available. A half-mile loop marked with luminaries will take walkers around the playground, Auld Pavilion Recreation Center and Veterans Memorial Garden. Participants are encouraged to walk the loop twice.
According to this year’s Point-In-Time Count, there were 542 individuals in Lincoln experiencing homelessness. Among those counted, 50 individuals were unsheltered, living outside or in places not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parking garages or abandoned buildings. Last month in Lincoln, 117 people experienced homelessness for the first time.
“The needs are ongoing and becoming more complex,” said Sampson. “This walk is a great chance for us to share the stories of three people and illuminate how Matt Talbot’s efforts to defeat homelessness through hunger relief, outreach, housing programs and substance use services are helping people have a safe place to sleep at night.” For more information, contact Jenn Boettcher at (402) 817-0615 or visit (mtko.org/events).