Listen to Jonathon Stalls talk about KIVA and his walks through Denver and across America

Alumnus Jonathon Stalls Walks Across America for KIVA

Remember Forest Gump, long hair strewn about as he ran and ran across America. When asked why, he responded: “When I had to go, you know, I went.” Recent Metropolitan State College of Denver Alumnus Jonathon Stalls (Independent study ’09) is going on foot across America this year, too—walking from the East to the West coast, in fact. But he’s not doing it just ‘cuz. Stalls is on a mission. He’s raising funds for the nonprofit, microfinance organization, KIVA. Plus, it’s something he just had to do.

“I sat with myself on my birthday prior to graduating, and I said to myself: ‘this is something I would love to do. I don’t know when, but I’m going to do this.’” Now, just six months later he’s on his way. He left Monday, March 1, and plans to travel well over 5,000 miles. He’s using the southern portion of the American Discovery Trail (ADT) as “a tool in carving a route for this trip.” He plans to reach the heart of the Rocky Mountains by July and so will have to take some shortcuts. His final destination is California.

The seed for this trip, he said, was planted on a visit to Europe. “I interacted with all kinds of on-foot travelers in hostels. The freedom and flexibility of their mobility and travel was this new thing for me. I recognized I was very jealous of a life like that.” Then he came back to the States and “stumbled” across Peter Jenkins’ book, “A Walk Across America,” and he met a guy in a coffee shop late one night who further influenced him.

“He sat next to me and started talking about how he was walking across the country and was on the last leg,” recalled Stalls. “The stories that came out of his mouth paralyzed me.” Soon after that night, Stalls took an extended trip to Honduras, where he “bounced around on chicken busses.” That cemented things for him, and he began to check out weather patterns and routes across the United States.

However, the trip planning couldn’t be complete until he figured out one more thing. He wanted to give back somehow. While taking a social entrepreneurship class at Metro State, he learned about the organization KIVA, which offered microfinance as a solution to poverty.

“I went online, researched KIVA and just fell in love with how they organized people to get involved in microfinance,” Stalls explained. He also liked how they “met our growing online social capacity.” KIVA utilizes social media platforms—Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter—to cultivate an online community that syncs with their interests. Stalls is taking a Blackberry with him so that he can do regular updates on the walks, the people he meets, and anything else he’s thinking about. Though he’s only been walking less than a week, his social media efforts are already paying off. He has already raised three-quarters of the $12,000 that he needs to make the trip happen, and he has more than 500 Facebook friends. He hopes this translates to real-world interactions with people.

He is looking for people to host him along the way, to walk with him on highways or through the mountains, and for whom he can do presentations and facilitate inspirational talks about microfinance.

“Join me on this trip,” he says. “Put on a pack and take in your environment. Slow down a bit. I’m really looking forward to meeting and connecting with people.”

For more information, please visit Stalls’ website. As well, the Metro State Office of Alumni Relations will regularly keep track of Jonathon in our “Where’s Jonathon” updates. And we are spending a day walking with him in the Colorado mountains as he passes through. We encourage other alumni and students to join us on this journey. Please contact Brian Ferguson at fergusob @ mscd.edu if you are a student or alumnus who wants to walk with KIVA.

Metro State Alum Jonathan Stalls to Walk Across America to raise funds

This March, Jonathon Stalls and his dog, Kanoa, will embark on a coast-to-coast cross country trek covering an estimated 3,000 miles from Delaware to San Francisco, CA - and he’s taking Kiva with him. For more information on how you can help out, click on his KivaWalk website.

He will be walking through hundreds of towns, cities, and communities in Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California.

Why is Jonathon going on this cross country trek?

“Since living in Ireland (2005-2006), visiting Honduras in 2007, and swapping life stories with many ‘travelers,’ I have craved an adventure that would challenge my daily activities, expectations, and priorities. The speed and growth of our commodity driven and over-communicated culture feeds a personal call to engage in quieter, slower, and more intentional experiences with less. 
This walk will be a journey in listening, eating, sharing, and growing with: strangers, neighbors, officials, hikers, animals, wind, and dirt.”


Why is he partnering with Kiva?

"I wanted and needed a larger purpose that would stretch far beyond my own personal attractions to such a trek. I came across Kiva in my social entrepreneurship class at Metropolitan State College of Denver in the fall of 2007. I craved to do more the minute I clicked on the link, browsed the website, and began donating. After meeting and engaging Kiva staff and many hours of creative brainstorming ‘we’ have cultivated an exciting relationship to spread Kiva’s mission and build lending communities across the country. I am more than enthusiastic to work with one of our nation’s leading incubators in the fight to alleviate extreme poverty across the world – GO KIVA!” 


Jonathon is requesting the support and hospitality of the Kiva lending community. If you wish to support him, learn more here about the following ways you can get involved:


Walk: "I strongly encourage everyone and anyone to take a day, a week, or more and find a way to meet me on the trail."

Host: "Connect with me at kivawalk@gmail.com if you or anyone you know can host Kanoa and I along the way."

Inspire: "Have me speak and be the reason to host a party that will help to raise awareness about Kiva in your community!"


Connect: "Put me in touch with someone you know at a University along the trail. I'd love to present to students and/or teachers who are interested in learning more about how to bring Kiva onto their Campus and into their classrooms!"


Donate: "Contribute to my personal walk budget"

Also, we're thrilled to announce that Jonathon has partnered with Sports Basement in San Francisco! They will be hosting a fundraising party for Kiva Walk on Wednesday, February 10th! Come out and support the walk, have a couple of drinks and take advantage of a special discount (20% discount on any personal purchases).

When: Wednesday, February 10th from 6-8 pm

Where: Presidio Sports Basement, 610 Old Mason Street, San Francisco, CA 94129

RSVP: Click here to RSVP and invite friends to the event!

How it supports the walk: Gear on Jonathon's Kiva Walk gear list can be purchased at a 20% discount! Sports Basement will ship all gear donations to him in Colorado free of charge. Discounted ski lift tickets (for Squaw Valley, Sugar Bowl, Sierra-at-Tahoe, Alpine Meadows, Homewood resorts) will also be sold at the event with 100% of sales supporting Kiva Walk!

Jonathon would like to thank Kiva staff, The Sports Basement and all friends and family who are supporting this adventure. Check out Jonathon's website to stay updated on his trip!

This information taken from the Kiva website Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend to unique entrepreneurs around the globe.

Metro Alum Jonathan Stalls to walk across America to raise funds for micro-lending

A Different Kind of Christmas?
Greetings from Colorado!

In March of 2010 my dog and I will embark on a coast-to-coast cross country trek from Deleware to San Francisco, CA. For many years I have longed to engage in a long-term adventure involving the simplicity of a backpack, my two feet, and the rugged and unpredictable terrain of our country and those who inhabit her. I am eager to connect, share, and learn from the unique people I will encounter along the way.

As I move through the country I will be working to build awareness and membership for Kiva.org. Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend to unique entrepreneurs around the globe. Please visit: www.kivawalk.com for more information.

Why You?
I want you to join me!

Please consider the following:
1.) Financially support the walk
Click Here to directly ChipIn via PayPal and/or check out additional information on my walk budget, gear and in-kind donation list, and more.
Please forward this information to any potential sponsors who you think might be interested!

2.) Join the Lending Team A community provding micro-credit loans to budding entrepreneurs across the world.

3.) Meet Kanoa and I along the way. Click Here for details on estimated route. Please email me: kivawalk@gmail.com if you or anyone you know is interested in hosting or joining us along the way!

4.) Spread the word
Please forward the links and signature below to anyone and everyone that might be interested in supporting or joining!

Main Website: www.kivawalk.com
Support the Walk: http://www.kivawalk.com/?page_id=96
KivaWalk Lending Team: www.kiva.org/team/kiva_walk
Facebook Page (become a fan!): http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/Kiva-Walk/174895474867?ref=ts
Signature: At the bottom of this email (just copy & paste)

Thank you for your time and please don't hesitate to email me with questions, ideas, feedback, and of course: dates for when you will meet me on the trail!

Happy Holidays,

Jonathon Stalls

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Make a Small Loan, Make a Big Difference - Check out my Kiva lending team below to Learn How!

KivaWalk Lending Team:
www.kiva.org/team/kiva_walk