Once Homeless College Student Walks 550 Miles to Raise Funds for People Who Can't Afford a Home

He was once homeless; now, this college student from Virginia walked 500 miles to raise awareness and raise funds to help the homeless.

One year ago, Gordon Wayne was homeless with only $6 in his bank account and just living out of his car. He worked 10-hour shifts at an amusement park and would spend nights in random parking lots in Caroline County, Virginia. Speaking to Boston College, he said he thought he would not be able to get himself out of rock bottom, and it's as if there was no "real escape."

Wayne had to turn down an acceptance to the University of Pittsburgh and enroll in a community college to earn as much credit as he could. At the same time, he looked for schools that offer full financial aid, and eventually, he was accepted at Boston College.

Paying it forward

And while his future already looks brighter, he remembered the hardships that he went through and started thinking about others who are still struggling to find a way out of homelessness. He then decided to launch a GoFundMe campaign to help people who can't afford proper shelter. Money raised through his campaign will benefit the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

He said he wants to "help bring others out of the deep psychological hole homelessness creates." He added that many homeless people have the skills, work ethic, and heart, and they simply need the resources that will give them a realistic chance at success.

To promote his campaign and raise awareness about homelessness, Wayne started walking last August — a 500-mile journey from his hometown to Boston. Averaging 14 hours on the road, he traveled 30 to 40 miles a day with a homemade walking stick that his grandfather gave him. His 16-day journey ended when he reached Boston College and marched into the Alumni Stadium escorted by Boston College police cruiser.

"It took a lot of luck and a lot of hard work," Wayne said. "All I did was walk. We walk every single day. I just walked it a little bit extra."

He said he did a lot of self-reflection during his trek, a lot of prayers, and a lot of walking for 14 hours a day. "This is bigger than me." He said that while he had been in some pain or felt tired but would take them any day to be able to support and inspire people.

"It's our job to uplift each other."

He said it is the least we could do as humans — to try to promote each other and try to uplift each other. "So I don't think I've done anything special. I've just done my job. I've tried to uplift people." Lastly, he said he hopes that other people will be inspired and try to do the same thing.

His GoFundMe page has so far raised $140,057 out of the $200,000 goal. To donate, click here.