A formerly homeless man is pushing a shopping cart across Canada to raise awareness for youth homelessness.
Joe Roberts with Push for Change was walking through Alfred Friday morning.
"I started in St. John's, Nfld., which is the most easterly point of North America and we began walking," he said. "Today is 146 and I've already walked almost 3,000 km."
Roberts stops to speak with curious onlookers on the way.
"We talk about what youth homelessness is and isn't," he said. "We're in a rural part of Ontario right now and there's a misnomer that youth homelessness doesn't exist here and it's actually not true. Youth at risk exists in every small community and you just don't see it here. There's young people that are couch surfing, living in homes that are disfunctional, that have domestic violence and trauma."
"What we're talking about is what we need to do to properly support those young people when they're still sitting in the classroom to give them the best opportunity to transition into adulthood," added Roberts. "I came from a small place just like this and I ended up on the streets of Vancouver pushing a shopping cart. The reality is if a young person doesn't do well in this community where are they going to end up? Ottawa. Toronto. Kingston. That's where you're going to see them. You're not going to see them hanging around here."
Roberts said he was able to turn his life around thanks to his mother and an OPP officer.
He'll be in Ottawa Saturday and will make his way to Vancouver.
You can learn more here.