The Cross Canada Volunteer Tour

WHAT

On May 1st 2021 I will leave from Tofino on Vancouver Island and cycle solo and unsupported across Canada to Halifax, N.S. The point of this journey is to visit homeless shelters in major towns and cities in order to volunteer my time, donate, fundraise and personally connect with individuals living in the shelters.

I will be doing this trip on the absolute tightest budget possible so that I can give the maximum amount to those who need it most. I will eat only 2 meals per day, sleep in the woods most nights and bring/buy only the essentials.

The funds I raise will be used to
1) Purchase high demand items at the shelters (this typically means self-care/ hygiene items such as tooth paste, tooth brushes, soaps, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, etc).
2) Purchase healthy food for the kitchens in the shelters.
3) Keep the shelters up and running (bills, fundraisers, renovations etc).
4) Fund my trip so that I can donate as much of my time as possible to the shelters.

I will be thoroughly documenting my entire trip so that those who follow on Instagram (@mayo_bros_calisthenics)   will feel like they're with me every step of the way.

WHY

I think this whole thing really started while driving through Halifax as a kid with my father. A disheveled man walked past our car and my dad yelled out to him. It was an old friend of his. He told my dad that he was currently homeless due to some unexpected medical bills. My Dad gave the man his number and we parted ways. I remember thinking at the time "wait, homeless people actually know other people and there was a time when they weren't homeless?"

This made everything very real to me and from that day on the issue of homelessness and the lack of effective, caring solutions has always bothered me a lot. In a way, we're all just a few (sometimes more) unlucky breaks away from being on the streets ourselves, as much as we might not want to admit that.

Completing this volunteer tour would mean the world to me. I've always had a passion for helping the homeless  and I've used my Instagram page for fundraisers in the past  , but this Cross Canada trip will take it to a whole new level.

HOW

I cannot do this alone. If you want to support me, I will be forever grateful. I've been training extremely hard for this trip and I will continue to do so until my departure date to ensure that I will not fail. Nothing can stop me, I promise you that.

I want to raise as much as possible before May 1st, but support throughout my journey would also be extremely helpful and appreciated by many across Canada.

Please contact me directly for corporate sponsorship inquiries.

Thank you for reading and for considering supporting me.

- John Mayo