Rev. Zac Morton of First Presbyterian Church in Morgantown made the walk in eight days to draw attention to extreme poverty and homelessness being faced by people across the state who are often ignored by society.
Morton wrote on his website — “As someone who strives to emulate Jesus, I believe it is my responsibility, and the responsibility of all people of faith, to advocate and care for people who are up against it the most.”
Morton began walking from Morgantown on Sept. 21 and arrived at the State Capitol in Charleston on Monday where he completed his 175-mile journey with plenty of support along the way.
He told The Record Delta that about 30 people began the walk with him for the first two miles on the 21st and a day later he was joined by a group from The Foundry Church in Morgantown. He also received support from a group from the Church of the Covenant in Grafton.
In a video posted to his Facebook page as he neared the end of the walk on Monday, Morton explained that his advocacy would not end with the walk. Much of his future efforts will be in supporting direct services organizations
In his interview with The Record Delta, Morton said he was inspired to start speaking up about extreme poverty and homelessness after he was exposed to a community of homeless people through the work of his church.