In June 2014, then-52-year-old man laced up his shoes and set out on a mission to walk through the perimeters of the entire country in order to raise money and awareness for the homeless veterans in America. 29 months and 11,500 miles later, Bailey has finally returned home and has already started working towards building his first homeless shelter.
A 11,500-Mile Journey For a Good Cause
Temperatures in some parts of the U.S. have dipped below freezing point and nobody can even think of leaving the comfort of their warm cozy homes to go on a three-year long adventure – especially not during the holiday season.
Leroy Bailey walking through the perimeters of U.S to raise awareness for homeless veterans
But one man named Leroy Bailey missed the opportunity to spend Christmas with his family for three consecutive years because he had been trekking around the country with a very important mission: to help build a shelter for the homeless veterans. Bailey packed up his 40-pound backpack, strapped it to his back, kissed his wife goodbye and left his Virginia Beach home in June 2014. The then-52-year-old said that he had been praying to God to show him a way for helping the homeless people who were left out in the freezing cold while the world was more concerned with building shelters for stray animals.
God finally answered his prayer and ‘told’ him that if he wanted to bring people’s attention to the plight of the poor, then he would have to walk around the entire country – and so he decided to set out on his 11,500-mile journey.
Bailey’s long trek took him through the Everglades, the southwestern dessert and California hills to Racine County where someone put him in touch with a nonprofit in Wisconsin called Veteran Outreach. The organization assured Bailey that it would help him collect donations he needed to build the homeless shelter.
Later in Caledonia, Bailey contacted the Veterans of America Motorcycle Club who graciously provided a hotel room for him to stay the night. The trekker praised the assistance and encouragement he had received so far from the community which had been a huge motivational factor for him to continue on his journey and finish what he had started.
During his journey, the 54-year-old occasionally talked to interviewers to give a quick rundown on his adventure thus far. Bailey, who worked as an independent contractor before setting out on his new mission, is a recovering alcoholic. He said that the road so far had been rough, yet rewarding. Bailey has left it up to god to show him the way on his journey saying that he has faith that things will work out for him no matter which city he goes to next. He calls his mission the ‘faith walk’.
Trekker Returns Home With $10,000
Almost 29 months and more than 11,500 miles later he finally returns home
During the 29 months of being on the road, the 54-year-old trekker had been through a lot. He injured his back and ankle several times, had his wallet stolen in Seattle and had even been turned away from churches in several towns, but that had not stopped him from continuing forward on his mission. He had also made several new friends who went to great lengths to ensure his safety and comfort.
One man he met in an AA meeting in Texas drove more than 100 miles in the cold December to make sure that Bailey wasn’t left outside on Christmas. In Oregon, he met a homeless veteran who offered him his spot under the Portland bridge to sleep. The veteran had spent his entire life sleeping under the same bridge as his father before him who served in the army during World War II.
In November 2016, Bailey finally returned home to his wife Lucy who had been waiting for him eagerly. Even though he had planned to finish his journey within 18 months, the trip took much longer than he had anticipated. After travelling around the country for three years and meeting different homeless people, Bailey has a better understanding of how the poor are treated in different communities in the U.S. Till now, he had been able to raise $10,000 for the good cause, an amount that he believes is more than enough to start building his first shelter.
