You can talk about the need to end poverty; give a dollar to someone on the street, and feel pity; or you can do something to make a difference. I’m just an average person who believes that everyone deserves a home, a living wage, a community. I’m walking across the United States to talk to people who are experiencing poverty and homelessness firsthand, and to raise awareness of the growing problem.
I began my journey of 3,000 miles on July 4, 2009, in Washington. D.C., and I plan to arrive in Los Angeles in Spring 2012. Along the way I’ve made stops in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City. In Fall 2011 I’ll return to Kansas City and continue through Wichita, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque, Flagstaff and countless other small towns and cities.
If not for a simple twist of fate, any one of us could fall through the fragile net. Give a stranger a hand, display an act of kindness, and inspire that person to reach within and rise to the challenge.
———————————–
Jennifer E. Cooper
jcooper@justabumpintheroad.org
At the Lincoln Memorial in DC. The starting point on July 4, 2009.
