Jan. 27, 2010
Those who are homeless are often invisible, ignored.
We chose to see, or not see, the man begging for change as we walk down the street. We forget that our friends who just needed a place to stay “for a few days” are still sleeping on our couch. We ignore the waitress who sleeps [...]

Jan. 19, 2010
The Washington Post today reported that the crush of those seeking public services has so far exceeded the district’s ability to process applications that some have been forced to spend day after day waiting in line.
It is a far cry from the near mob scene in Detroit last October when thousands of people [...]

Dec. 28, 2009
Human beings are not meant to live in the cold. Some of us may enjoy living in cooler regions, but I doubt anyone enjoys spending any real amount of time exposed to the elements without proper clothing.
Yet routinely the poor and the homeless are left ill prepared to shelter themselves from the cold. [...]

Dec. 17, 2009
It is no secret that so many of the homeless in this country are veterans. And little shocks me these days. But I found myself surprised to learn the number of homeless female veterans to be on the rise.
According to a report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, women are a growing [...]

Day 93–Oct. 4 (Aurora, OH – Cleveland, OH, 19.3 miles)
Poverty and homelessness are large problems. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t small things everyone can do to make a difference. Here are a few suggestions:

Donate food, toiletries, clothing, and household items to a local shelter, food pantry or organization that benefits those who are homeless [...]

Day 87–Sept. 28 (New Castle, PA – Youngstown, OH, 17.3 miles)
Absent from many discussions of affordable housing are a few realities. First, much of “affordable” housing is substandard, owned by slum lords who charge too high a rent payment for poor quality housing. Second, many people who can afford rent payments in an affordable unit [...]

Day 85–Sept. 26 (Beaver Falls, PA-New Castle, PA 18 miles)
In the bad times, when we struggle and make our way through hardship or tragedy, we vow we will never forget. But we do forget.
When I was first married I can remember struggling to pay the bills and staying up nights wondering how we were going [...]

Day 83–Sept. 24 (Bellvue, PA-Baden, PA, 14.2 miles)
The sidewalks along Route 65 in Emsworth are in such a state of disrepair that in many places grass and weeds have fully reclaimed the concrete. When I was walking, I passed no one.
Just a little north lies the town of Sewickley. The sidewalks are pristine. There are [...]

Day 35–August 7, 2009
The human body cannot live without food. Yet time and time again we give up food in favor of other things our body does not require. And certainly many people have gone hungry in favor of
If this is the case, that so many people would rather go hungry than roofless, is housing [...]

Day 32–August 4, 2009
For two weeks, 98 miles, I walked on an injured ankle. Today, after a visit to an orthopedist, an x-ray, and an MRI, I learned that I have a stress fracture of my left tibia. I have been walking on a broken leg.
So, instead of just taking a couple weeks off before [...]

Day 28–July 31, 2009
Strictly speaking homelessness means not having a home. But there are many ways a person can be homeless; staying with family or friends; living in transitional housing or shelters; or simply getting by on the street, in cars, or in tents.
Regardless, homelessness is the result of a breakdown in community. For those [...]