Come out to Heckscher State Park at noon on Sunday, Sept. 29 to support the Anna and Philip Kimmel Foundation in the "Walk on Home," a fund-raising five-mile walk for affordable housing. Water will be available to all the walkers as well as bus service for those who need help along the way.

In addition to the money raised by the walk, the Kimmel Foundation will receive a donation from Washington Mutual, which is organizing the event to benefit Long Island non-profit housing groups. Washington Mutual has assumed all the organizing costs of the event and, in an effort to help the Kimmel Foundation and the other groups find volunteer walkers, is offering a prize of three months mortgage or rent payments (total $10,000) to one lucky winner.

"The Anna and Philip Kimmel Foundation is delighted to take part in this event," said Howard Kimmel, president and CEO. "We desperately need money to pay for equipment, furnishings and social services for the Apex Senior Citizen Housing in Westbury/New Cassel. We are telling all our friends that even a few hundred yards of walking will be good for your health and the foundation's treasury."

Apex will be the first to offer senior citizens a shared housing option in apartments. Five of the apartments will have two very private bedrooms and bathrooms. In the center of the bedroom winey there will be a kitchen, living and dining area. Kimmel said the Apex residents will "exchange loneliness for companionship." The residents will be carefully screened and matched to live together in "families of choice."

While not a nursing home or an assisted living facility, Apex expects that many of its residents will ultimately need some help meeting the daily responsibilities of independent living. Visits to shared living projects in the metropolitan area have shown the foundation's staff that senior citizens can flourish living among their peers, and that feeling of fellowship encourages a positive outlook in the residents that helps forestall the necessity for institutionalization.

"Apex is expected to improve the quality of life for the tenants, and increase the life expectancy of many of the residents, some of whom may ultimately be frail," said Kimmel. "As a result of their interdependence, they will become more independent." While no two human beings can reasonably be expected to live together without ever disagreeing, the Family and Children's Association will be on hand to help tenants solve their problems. Apex will also have an office available for visiting doctors and nurses, as well as security systems.

Over the past seven years, the Kimmel Foundation has given gifts of funds and their housing "know-how" to the Community Development Corporation of Long Island, the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Ronald McDonald House and a gift of support to the National Shared Housing Resource Center.

Walk-on-Home entry forms and more information is available at a local Washington Mutual Bank branch or by calling the Kimmel Foundation at 482-9054 or 482-9044. People who want to help, but would rather not walk, can send donations to: Washington Mutual's Walk on Home, 95 Morton Street, 1st Floor, New York, NY 10014. Please include on an attached note that you are donating to the Kimmel Foundation and please include organization code number 1033 so that your donation can be quickly and easily credited to the foundation.

In addition to raising funds through the Walk on Home, the Kimmel Foundation is hoping for donations of office furniture, tables, chairs and other items for the new Apex building. Prospective donors should contact Father John Mulryan, the foundation's executive director, at 482-9044.