Woman’s cross-country trip focuses on issues

Kim Denmark is determined and convicted.

The one-time business owner is on a mission to walk across America to gather one million signatures from citizens who agree that welfare reform, homelessness and the state of poverty need to change.

Denmark’s arrival Wednesday at the steps of city hall in Union City is a part of her continuing mission that began some five years ago in Dayton, Ohio, where she had owned a temporary employment business. It was during that time, as she operated her business and lived her life, that a personal reckoning and an enlightenment she had not anticipated occurred.

“I owned a successful temporary service for seven years and a lot of people I put to work were homeless, people in poverty, mothers on welfare. My business did very, very well and I became very arrogant in making all the money,” Denmark explained. “The poor people who made me were the ones I later forgot about when I became wealthy. But one day, for no reason, I got very sick. It took me to my bed and then to my death bed. After being sick for so long I just gave up. And one night during that time I had a very spiritual encounter and was given a second chance. I was healed completely but I was given a task. That task was to walk for the very people that I stepped on and abused and just didn’t care about anymore, which were the poor.”

The illness she experienced was one that had no viable explanation. Her doctors could not explain why her condition continued to worsen. But that illness over a one-month period became one that directly threatened her life.

“No body could figure out what this illness was. I honestly believe it was a wake-up call for me. It was geared specifically to wake me up to pay attention,” Denmark said smiling. “I lost my business because when I walked away, I walked away from everything. That’s the spiritual part. I was instructed to go. There’s only one God and He is real. He gave me the strength to walk.”

As much as anything, Kim Denmark’s walk is one of faith. She had no funds prepared for her years-long journey across America. Still today, she has only what is provided for her along the way.

“I remember walking that first day in the snow and just crying and asking a God who I never saw, I didn’t know where the help would come from, but He said, ‘Just walk.’ And I asked where I was going to eat and sleep but he said, ‘just go,’” Denmark explained. “And what has happened is that people along the way have fed me and given me a place to stay. This is a blessing because I don’t have any money and I’m not raising any money.”

Now walking across her 13th state, Denmark is convicted that the United States could do more for the homeless and those living in poverty. She also believes the Welfare to Work programs could do a better job at assisting people in obtaining employment other than low paying positions.

“We know poverty will be here forever, it’s in the Bible. But I really have an issue with the number of those who are homeless or in poverty in America. Our government is doing but they could do a little more. We are building homes in third world countries and yet we’ve got homelessness here. I just want them to focus a little more on America. That’s all. That’s why I carry a flag. It speaks to America, the beautiful America. And I believe that, after crossing 13 states, I’m an expert at seeing what homelessness is, on the inside and the outside. And I’m just bold enough to speak about it.”

For Kim Denmark, her walk and her mission continues.

Anyone interested in contacting Denmark of contributing to her effort can contact The Kim Denmark Support Network at 127 Sparkleberry Lane, Box 513, Columbia, SC 29229. She can also be reached through email at kdenmarkwalking@hotmail.com

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