06 June 2014 / CNet – Enduring rain, heat, wind, and exhaustion, Jason King has only 30 miles left to finish his run across America. In the four months he’s been on the move, he’s shed 72 pounds, met all sorts of people, and been daunted by the thousands of miles ahead.
Why would King commit to such a task?
Because he wanted to raise awareness about homelessness and Bitcoin. King runs a cryptocurrency-based homeless outreach organization in Pensacola, Fla., called Sean’s Outpost. With this organization, he has seen how the open and global nature of Bitcoin has helped pay for food and other supplies for people in need.
“There’s an epidemic of homelessness in America and most people don’t realize it. It’s not that they don’t care, it’s just that they don’t realize,” King told CNET. “Bitcoin allows you to open up to a world stage with a local problem. That’s never been possible before with any other monetary device.”
The numbers on homelessness in the US are staggering. According to data gathered by King, more than 3.5 million people will be homeless this year — that’s 1 in 200 Americans. Poverty is another tough issue, King said. More than 12 million children live in poverty in the US, and this year more than 100 million people will experience some type of food insecurity.
Since Bitcoin is an international currency that isn’t run by the US banking system, it’s possible that more people around the world could donate to non-profits working to help the homeless population, King said….. Read more
http://www.cnet.com/news/man-runs-3237-miles-in-name-of-bitcoin-and-homelessness/
