Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida

Nationwide, there are more than 560,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night (a per capita rate of 17.3 per 10,000). Of those, 37.2% live outside of shelters — such as on the streets, in cars or in parks — and 18.6% are considered chronically homeless.

A recent report shows that there are 13.2 homeless people for every 10,000 residents in Florida, ranking the Sunshine State No. 15 among U.S. states with the largest homeless populations.

COVID-19 and Homelessness: The coronavirus pandemic isn't just a threat to the health of people around the world. It also puts their livelihoods at risk. The pressure is especially high for people in the US, where the loss of income has left many people evicted and homeless.

Other causes of homelessness include domestic violence, mental illness, lack of family support, poor finances, and social issues.

There are over 2,500 homeless veterans in Florida and 11% of the homeless adult population in the USA are veterans.

Want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money to benefit Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, and any donation will help make an impact. 

In my quest to better manage homelessness and raise funds to offer an increase of services and resources to the homeless population within Central Florida, I will be demonstrating HOPE in Motion as I walk 238 miles - equivalent to the distance of Orlando to Miami (starting Wednesday, March 16th).

I will be walking 20 miles a day (March 16th - March 27th), starting at 8am each day until I have walked a total of 238 miles. The starting point will be at the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida (18 N. Terry Ave., Orlando, FL 32801) and will progress to Lake Eola in downtown Orlando. Once I reach Lake Eola, I will walk 20 times around the lake per day, which is equivalent to 20 miles.

Walk updates will be posted here and the HOPE in Motion FB page (https://www.facebook.com/hopenmotion). I look forward to seeing supporters along the way. If you are interested in joining the walk, please send a request to: hopeinmotionorlando at gmail dot com.

You can also support the cause by walking virtually (walking at home, school track, community park or at the gym). Whether in-person at Lake Eola or virtually, I kindly ask all walkers to make a donation towards the HOPE in Motion: Walking for the Homeless fundraiser.
Thanks in advance for your contribution.

This walk is in memory of my homeless friend, John Johnson, who passed away from heart failure in 2019.

In life, we go through seasons. I pray that my efforts will inspire and motivate others to keep pressing forward because each new step is a fresh start to a brighter future.