Presbyterian minister taking steps to help the homeless
An old Chinese proverb says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Well, the same is true for a journey of 150 miles – from Morgantown to Charleston – that Reverend Zac Morton, of the First Presbyterian Church, will undertake this week.
Taking that all-important first step at 8a.m. in front of the church at 456 Spruce St., Morton plans to walk to the statehouse in Chalreston in an effort to raise awareness – and funds – for homelessness and extreme poverty across West Virginia.
Morton’s inspiration for the walk came from a combination of his personal interest in the outdoors and hiking, as well as the teachings of his faith.
“When we understand that this whole life is a gift that we’ve been given by our creator, then our primary purpose is to help each other,” he said. “We’ve received so much, how can we not want everyone to share in that and grow and flourish? This whole walk is my way of helping.”
In his preparation, Morton has taken into consideration his own safety, driving the planned route to ensure there’s enough space for him to walk along roads. He has coordinated some resupply stops. Otherwise, his plans are intentionally vague.
“Setting out on foot is a way that a lot of people get around who are in this situation,” Morton said. “So just the experience of …not staying in a shelter every night, not knowing exactly where I’m going to set up shop every night. I can only carry so much food, so to a certain extent I don’t know where my next meal is going to come from.”
Morton recognizes that there is no comparison between his choice to rough it and the necessities of someone facing adversity.
“I’m not trying to compare what I’m going to go through to what folks who are expiring homelessness go through, but it’s as close as I can get,” he said.
Morton hopes to achieve many things with this project. He hopes to bring attention to the plight of those experiencing extreme poverty across West Virginia, as well as the organizations that are already doing important work in each community.
Along with organizations here in Morgantown like HealthRight and Friendship House, Morton wants to highlight organizations across West Virginia such as the Clarksburg Mission and the Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless.
He hopes to raise money to help Morgantown’s housing initiative for Diamond Village residents, but most of all he hopes to change people’s perceptions.
“Just to get enough people to consider (the complexities) and the humanity of the situation, because a lot of these folks are treated as invisible or as a nuisance to get rid of and that’s not treating people as fully human, that’s not giving the people the dignity and respect they fully deserve.”
An important component to help Morton achieve so much will be his regular social media posts and updates, where he will explore the complex and often intersecting issues people in extreme poverty must navigate.
“Each day on my walk I’m highlighting a different issue,” he said. “One day we’re talking about living wages, another day we’re talking about substance use and peer recovery programs, another day we’re talking about how hard it is to get an ID and barriers around those sorts of things.”
“The way to judge a community is to judge how well off those who have it the worst are doing. The more that we can help create solutions for these folks, the more it creates solutions and a better community for all of us.”
You can follow each of Rev. Morton’s steps at @Walk4WV on Facebook and Instagram, or at Walk4WV.org. You can donate to his cause at GoFundMe or via his Venmo @Walk4WV.
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