Middletown man biking across U.S. to raise awareness for homeless vets

By Kainani Stevens

kstevens@abc6.com

Middletown native Rick Hart, has nicknamed himself the "road warrior" and now he’s going to put that name to the test as he sets out on his 3,800 mile bike ride. Hart will be raising money for VA Centers across the country and bringing awareness to the issue of Veteran homelessness.

"To think about a homeless veteran, it is just an oxymoron to me, said Hart. “It doesn’t make sense to me"

Hart conducting his first veteran interview in Providence today.  Hart hopes that by sharing the videos online, he will not only help raise money for VA Centers but also help share the stories of those who have served our country.

"I just want to hear their stories and share them with the world. For these guys to have served our country, this trip will hopefully make a ripple effect. Just dropping a rock in a small pond and seeing how far the ripple will go in our country."

Hart will be sleeping in a tent for the ten-week journey to fully experiencing the difficulties many homeless veterans face.

"I'll just be pitching a tent. No hotels or anything like that. It wouldn’t be fair for me to sleep in a hotel and say that I’m trying to raise awareness for homeless veterans."

For more information on Hart’s ride, click here.

(C) WLNE-TV 2015