Florida man makes stops in Santa Barbara County during his 100,000 mile walk

SANTA BARBARA Calif. –  53-year-old Richard Shirley, like so many, has been impacted by COVID-19.

He was living in Miami before losing his job and becoming homeless.

Shirley was having a hard time getting shelter, so he decided to start walking.

He's going 100,000 miles around the U.S. to raise awareness and help start a homeless shelter.

Richard started his trek in Miami last year, before making it to Santa Barbara County Friday.

He has been through all kinds of weather along the way, including the Texas snow storm earlier this year. 

Now richard has a new hurdle to overcome, someone stole his backpack in Oxnard, putting him in a challenging position.

“To take the supplies I had at that point in time for this journey,” said Shirley. “To me that’s the biggest. But I am getting through this one too.”

Despite the troubles, Richard says he's staying positive and will not stop until he completes the journey and opens a homeless shelter.

He is asking the public for monetary help.

To donate on his Gofundme page, click here.

To follow his journey on Facebook, click here.