runtellmanrun's photostream (creative commons)

Homelessness will not be solved through discussion alone, and while some people choose to take action by volunteering at a shelter or soup kitchen, one man has decided to run barefoot across the United States to raise money for homeless teens.

Tellman Knudson, an Internet marketer began his admirable, ambitious 3,200-mile journey on Wednesday in New York’s Battery Park City, and has already raised $300,000 of his $100 million goal, which he plans to donate to Covenant House, a New York based organization that provides shelter and services to homeless teens in several countries. 

In case you are concerned about the safety of Knudson’s bare feet, he will be traveling with a team to treat him should he fail to dodge broken glass or other road hazards.  Seemingly aware of any joking comparisons to Forrest Gump, Knudson’s website is named RunTellmanRun.com, and defends his transcontinental charity run:

People have been calling me crazy for months now, and there have been a lot of skeptics.  But now that it’s underway, there’s no denying that I am going to run across the country barefoot. And I’m going to do my best to stamp out youth homelessness along the way. It’s on.

Knudson has overcome his own obstacles in order to run for charity.  As a teen he suffered from femoral antiversion, a debilitating leg condition, to compete on his high school cross country running team, where he set several school records and competing for the New Hampshire State Championship.

Keep an eye on Knudson’s progress and support his run and use the action link below to learn more about Covenant House.