Hundreds of advocates, concerned residents and homeless people will gather this morning to kick off a 10-day charity walk around the island to raise awareness about homelessness.

The fourth annual "Walk the Talk-Shelter the People," part of Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week, will start at 8 a.m. at the state Capitol. The first leg of the walk is about 13 miles long and will take participants to Hawai'i Kai.

The event comes as nonprofits statewide are seeing more need from low-income families in the downturned economy.

"The need is more now than when we first started our walk," said walk founder Utu Langi, a longtime homeless advocate. "We have to continue to bring awareness to this issue."

The walk has been gaining in popularity since it debuted in 2005 as an innovative way to bring attention to a persistent — and worsening — problem.

Participants can walk a portion of the route or all 130 miles of it.

Kapua Tani, a walk coordinator with event sponsor Hawaii Helping the Hungry Have Hope, said it's unclear how many will participate this year, but it appears that the number of people walking will be up. He said more than 400 could come out for at least one leg of the event or for the last mile.

"We're getting a lot of interest," he said.

Curtis Kropar, executive director of Hawaiian Hope, which provides technology services to nonprofit organizations, said the purpose of the walk is to remind people that homelessness is still an issue that needs to be addressed.

As the financial markets continue to sink, he added, that message is even more important. "A lot of people when they talk about the homeless, they talk about 'those people,'" Kropar said. "It's incredible how fast 'those people' can become 'us.' Some percentage of these people are going to slip through the cracks."

This is the third year Kropar has participated in the walk.

He is one of a handful who walk the whole course.

"I'm excited about it," said Kropar.

Participants in the walk can return home nightly or camp at the churches, homes or other sites where the legs end. At the end of each day, participants are invited to eat together and participate in a community forum on homelessness.

On the final day of the walk, participants will start in 'Aiea and stop at A'ala Park. Those who want to participate in the last mile of the walk should gather at A'ala Park around 3:30 p.m. to register and get a T-shirt. The final mile is from A'ala Park to the state Capitol, where walk participants will arrive at 4:30 p.m.

After the walk, a candlelight vigil for homeless awareness will be held.

Proceeds from the walk will go to homeless initiatives, including programs that provide meals to the homeless and a project that transforms used tour buses into mobile homeless shelters. So far, two tour buses have been refitted and are being lived in. Langi said one more is nearly finished and will be filled soon.

Last year, the walk raised about $14,000.