Murthy Law Firm founder and president, Sheela Murthy, has a deep commitment to helping those less fortunate, so she could hardly say no when she was asked to co-chair the 2013 fundraising gala for The Journey Home, a project designed to combat homelessness in Baltimore. The event was held on October 19th at the Baltimore Convention Center, and raised nearly $500,000 to help implement The Journey Home’s ten-year plan to eliminate homelessness in Baltimore by 2018. Murthy co-chaired the event with Andrew Bertamini, Regional President of Wells Fargo.

The Journey Home is a joint initiative of Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and the United Way of Central Maryland, who have teamed up to help the more than 4,000 people who are estimated to be homeless in Baltimore on any given night. As if that statistic weren’t alarming enough: according to Mayor Rawlings-Blake, it includes nearly 500 families with children – a number too high by any standard.

Murthy and her co-chair welcomed the capacity crowd and kicked off a celebration of community support with stories of individual journeys home. The event raised funds and awareness: it provided attendees with a unique opportunity to see the real face of homelessness in Baltimore, to better understand the public costs and staggering human toll of the problem, as well as the urgent need for long-term solutions.

In keeping with the theme of this year’s gala – An Evening of Unexpected Delights – the festivities included outstanding cuisine, dancing, and world-class musical entertainment, featuring a surprise appearance by the actor, singer-songwriter, and nine-time Grammy Award winner, John Legend. It was an unforgettable evening for a cause that needs more attention – one to which Murthy was delighted to give her time and attention.

Further information on The Journey Home is on the web.

Copyright © 2013, SHEELA MURTHY. All Rights Reserved