>>>
>>> WELCOME BACK. TAKE A LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE
CITIES ON THE BACK DOOR OF THE
VAN.
VAN.
VAN. THOSE ARE ALL OF THE PLACES
THAT JASON SMITH HAS TRAVELED
AS HE IS LAUNCHING THIS PROJECT
. WE ALSO FOUND YOU IN 5 HIVE
SO THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON
TODAY.
TODAY.
TODAY. >>
TODAY. >> I WANT TO GET DOWN TO THE
REAL QUESTION.
REAL QUESTION. WHICH ONE OF THESE CITIES HAS
THE NICEST PEOPLE IN THE
COUNTRY?
COUNTRY?
COUNTRY? >> TODAY IT IS SEATTLE.
>> SO YOU STARTED IN PHOENIX.
YOU ARE FROM WASHINGTON?
>> I AM I AM FROM SOUTH OF
OLYMPIA IN CENTRALIA.
>> SO WHAT STARTED THIS
>> FOR THE LAST 13 YEARS I HAVE
WORKED AS A PARAMEDIC AND I
WONDERED WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE
TO BE HOMELESS SO I DECIDED I
WAS GOING TO QUIT MY JOB AND
SEE HOW FAR YOU CAN GO OFF THE
KINDNESS OF OTHERS AND HOW KIND
PEOPLE ARE TO ONE ANOTHER
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND ALSO
HIGHLIGHT ISSUES WITHIN THE
HOMELESS COMMUNITY.
HOMELESS COMMUNITY. >> THAT IS AMAZING.
I KNOW WHEN YOU GO TO EACH CITY
YOU PANHANDLE AND ASK FOR MONEY
.
.
. >>
. >> WHEN
. >> WHEN I LEFT MY HOME ON APRIL
1 I STARTED WITH ZERO DOLLARS.
I HAD THE PANHANDLE TO MAKE IT.
I WILL GO TO TRUCK STOPS AND
GAS STATIONS WHERE EVER I CAN
AND I WILL HOLD MY SIGN FOR THE
DAY AND TRY TO MAKE AS MUCH
MONEY AS I CAN.
WITH THE MONEY I MAKE I USE IT
FOR THREE THINGS.
I USE IT FOR GAS, FOOD, AND
HELPING OTHERS.
HELPING OTHERS. ALONG THE WAY I HAVE PURCHASED
18 TENTS FOR HOMELESS FOLKS.
I HAVE RECENTLY RAISED $400 TO
GET A HOMELESS MAN A BICYCLE.
HAVE DONE FOOD AND GAS AND
SHELTER AND PRETTY MUCH
ANYTHING AND THAT HAS ALL BEEN
FROM THE GENEROSITY OF OTHERS.
>> HAVE YOU CONQUERED THE GOAL
YOU SET OUT?
YOU ARE ABOUT TO WRAP THIS UP.
>> I HAVE ABOUT 2000 MILES LEFT
OF TRAVEL.
OF TRAVEL. I HAVE FIGURED OUT WHAT I NEED
TO DO TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
I HAVE GOTTEN ABOUT 300 GALLONS
OF GAS FROM THAT GAS CAN.
WHEN I GO TO TRUCK STOPS I WILL
HOLD MY SIGN NEED MONEY FOR GAS
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I WILL WAVE TO PEOPLE. THE COOL
THING IS 15,000 MILES LATER I
AM RIGHT HERE IN SEATTLE.
>> AND YOU LIVE IN PHOENIX NOW
WITH A WIFE AT HOME WAITING.
>> WE HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR 10
YEARS.
YEARS.
YEARS. THROUGH WORKING AS AN EMS I
HAVE DEALT WITH A LOT OF REALLY
NEGATIVE THINGS.
NEGATIVE THINGS. SHE REALLY SUPPORTS ME GOING
OUT AND TRYING SOMETHING NEW.
FOR ME SHE KNEW IT WAS THE
RIGHT THING TO DO TO LET ME
LEAVE MY STABLE PAIN JOB AND
LIVE HOMELESS FOR 5 TO 6 MONTHS
TO FILM THIS DOCUMENTARY.
>> SO WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU.
>> AFTER YOU GET HOME I HAVE A
WHOLE BUNCH OF EDITING TO DO
BUT I HAVE BEGUN RAISING FUNDS
FOR MY NECK JUST -- NEXT
PROJECT WHICH WILL BE MENTAL
HEALTH FOR FIRST RESPONDERS.
THERE IS A TON OF RESOURCES FOR
VETERANS BUT NOT FOR FIRST
RESPONDERS.
RESPONDERS. >> THAT IS VERY TRUE.
THIS WILL ALL BE A DOCUMENTARY
THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO FIND AT
SOME POINT LATER.
>> IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW MY
PROJECT YOU CAN GO TO FACEBOOK.
JUST SEARCH JASON SMOKES A --
MOST EXCELLENT VAN ADVENTURES.
YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING.
I PANHANDLE THAN A SANTA CLAUS
SUIT IN NEW ORLEANS JUST TO SEE
WHAT DO PEOPLE RESPOND TO.
>> I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY
COOL TO SEE THE EXPERIENCES YOU
HAVE HAD FROM OTHER PEOPLE THAT
WE CANNOT EVEN EXPLAIN HERE.
>> I HAVE BEEN BLOWN AWAY.
I WAS TOLD WHEN YOU GO TO THE
SOUTH YOU WILL BE THE MINORITY.
DO NOT EVEN WASTE YOUR TIME.
WE ARE MORE UNITED THAN DIVIDED.
I HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNITIES
WHERE I WAS DEFINITELY THE
MINORITY AND I HAVE BEEN
TREATED VERY KINDLY AND IT IS
AWESOME TO BE ABLE TO SHARE
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. >>
THAT. >> MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT THIS
IS SOLAR PANELS AND ALL THAT
BUT IT IS RIGHT HERE.
>>
>>
>> >>
>> >> I
>> >> I AM A BIG GUY SO YOU HAVE
TO HAVE A PULL OUT KITCHEN.