It appears Wal-Mart does have a heart, of sorts. Today the world’s third largest corporation announced it would contribute more than $2 billion towards the fight against hunger in America. The donation will come in the form of 1.1 billion pounds of food from Wal-Mart stores, distribution centers and Sam’s Club locations (valued at $1.75 [...]

Jan. 20, 2010 Tuesday’s surprise defeat of Democrat Martha Coakley in the Massachusetts special Senate election has many Democrats scratching their heads and pointing fingers, and has Republicans jumping for joy. Republican Scott Brown’s victory strips Democrats of their filibuster-proof majority, and throws the entire health care bill into jeopardy. But, despite the wild speculation [...]

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 [...]

Day 91–Oct. 2 (Hiram, OH – Aurora, OH, 11.1 miles) Poverty. It is a word no one likes to hear. It is not something we want to acknowledge exists in a country as wealthy as the United States. But far too many times when I tell people I’m walking for poverty and homelessness I’m told [...]

Day 90–Oct. 1 ( Braceville, OH – Hiram, OH, 10.8 miles) On more than one occasion on this trip I have been told I do not look like someone on a walk for poverty and homeless. Most days, but by no means all, I have started my morning with a hot shower. I have a [...]

Day 88–Sept. 29 (Youngstown, OH –  Warren, OH, 8.8 miles) It has been a generation since steel manufacturing jobs left the region. Many living in western Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana can remember family members working in the steel mills or perhaps worked there themselves. At it’s peak in the 1940s more than half a million [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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. [...]

Day 82–Sept. 23 (Pittsburgh, PA-Bellvue, PA, 7.9 miles) Leaving Pittsburgh today I felt conflicted. I was not interested in being part of a G-20 protest that could become violent. And I didn’t think it was my battle. But, with each step I took, I realized that every protest is my battle–our battle–to preserve democracy and [...]

Day 60–Sept. 1 As if working for minimum wage isn’t bad enough, a new study, Broken Laws, Unprotected Workers, a survey of more than 4,000 low-wage workers, suggests “many employment and labor laws are regularly and systematically violated.” The 2008 survey of 4,387 workers in low-wage industries in the three largest U.S. cities—Chicago, Los Angeles, [...]

Day 68–Sept. 9 Coming soon!

Day 64–Sept. 5 Lately I find myself curious as to why so many people just accept their fate as one of the exploited working poor. Why do people not rebel against what will surely be a life of endless struggle? As I’ve been reading Barbara Ehrenreich’s “Nickle and Dimed,” I have been struck by the [...]

Day 63–Sept. 4 As it turns out, keeping up with the Joneses may be out of reach for 1 in 4 American families. That is the estimated number of working families who are low income. A report by The Working Poor Families Project, Still Working Hard, Still Falling Short, found that in 13 states 33 [...]

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 [...]