Activist walks more than 230 miles to raise awareness about homelessness

Activist walks more than 230 miles to raise awareness about homelessness

A local activist walked more than 230 miles around Lake Eola over the span of a week to raise money and awareness about homelessness.

LAKE MARY, Fla. - A local activist walked hundreds of miles to raise money and awareness about homelessness.

Anissa King walked around Orlando's Lake Eola 30 times a day for a week. That added up to more than 230 miles, the distance between Orlando and Miami.

King had a goal of raising $10,000 for the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida.

"With the pandemic that has been going on, an increase of homelessness has definitely increased and so the need is definitely there to provide those additional services to the homeless," she said.

King raised $4,000 through her efforts.

Nationwide, there are more than 560,000 people experiencing homelessness on any given night, King said. 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.

Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida was formed in 1987 and serves as a low barrier residential shelter with a focus on housing, emergency services, and diversion for the region's homeless.

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