Writing that title feels like a lot, but that is my plan. According to HUD data, biking this route will allow me to stop in 6 of the 10 cities with the highest homeless population in the country. According to Google Maps, this route will take me 67 hours to ride and will cover 753 miles. I will ride 50-100 miles daily and plan to knock the trip out in 10 days. This timeline allows me to prepare some rest days and account for a day or two with inclement weather.
One of the trip's main goals is to highlight what it is like to be a person who is homeless in this country. I will do this by interviewing as many homeless people as possible who would like to have an opportunity to tell their stories. Understanding how easy it can be to end up on the street is vital. According to a survey by payroll.org in 2023, 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. That's over a quarter of a billion people, Billion with a B. Think of the significance of that number. Any of those people could quickly end up on the street if an emergency health issue arises, a car breaks down, or they lose their job, and they can't pay rent; there are any number of problems that could cause someone to end up on the street. During the trip, I will attempt to serve at as many homeless shelters along my route as possible. I will be prepared to camp to show what it's like for homeless people in towns that don't have shelters or when shelters are full.
To document the trip thoroughly, I am hopeful my brother will be able to join me. He studied film at Loyola Chicago and has always dreamed of making a movie. I am optimistic he will be able to participate so that he can film the trip and the many interviews I plan on conducting along the way. I am very excited about the journey and will continue to post blogs about the plan. I still need to get exact dates lined up, but I plan to firm up dates by the end of the year. Thank you for following along in my journey. I will be posting consistently across social media throughout the upcoming year with interviews I have been doing and updating on my bike training. I look forward to engaging with you there! Thank you for caring about improving the lives of the people in this country impacted by homelessness!
