On Thursday, Oct. 15, a group of Northwest Arkansas neighbors set out from Bentonville for a three-day, 33-mile walk to Fayetteville. The route follows the Razorback Greenway, but the organizers say the purpose reaches beyond the miles: to raise awareness and support for people working toward stable housing after chronic homelessness.
The walk is New Beginnings’ second annual pilgrimage. The Fayetteville nonprofit says participants share meals, stories and time together along the way. Organizers planned for about 10 miles a day, with overnight stays at local churches. The journey is scheduled to finish Saturday, Oct. 17, at the organization’s Neighborhood of Cabins in Fayetteville.
The public can join the group for the final stretch. Participants are expected to reach Walker Park at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday, where community members are invited to walk the last mile with them. A meal will follow at New Beginnings, 251 W. 19th St., with remarks scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., according to the Fayetteville Flyer’s Oct. 14 report.
A mix of people is taking part. In a KUAF interview published Oct. 15, executive director Solomon Burchfield said about 10 walkers are alumni of New Beginnings’ support who have experienced chronic homelessness and now have stable homes. Pastors, small-business owners, retirees and builders are also part of the group, he said.
That mix makes the pilgrimage a shared community effort rather than a solo endurance challenge. Burchfield told KUAF that the walk gives people time to connect, talk about homelessness and consider how neighbors and local institutions can respond. He described simple meals and conversations along the route as part of the gathering. People walking the route can invite questions from others using the Greenway, and the public is welcome to join at the Fayetteville finish.
The organization describes the pilgrimage as a way to build relationships while raising awareness and funds. Its event page says the route represents a distance many unhoused neighbors regularly travel on foot. That is the organizers’ framing of the experience; the walk itself is not a substitute for the varied realities of homelessness or the work of people navigating it.
There are several ways to participate. The event page lists traditional and immersive walking options, a one-day run or relay, cycling and volunteer shifts. Volunteers can help with meals, transportation, gear and rest stops. For those taking the immersive option, the organization says walkers carry what they need and navigate meals, transportation and sleeping arrangements with limited resources. Those activities are presented as a learning experience, not a reproduction of homelessness.
There is also a practical goal. New Beginnings says donations support neighborhoods that combine housing with services and community resources. Its Fayetteville campus includes a neighborhood of small cabins for people who have experienced chronic homelessness. New Beginnings says the neighborhood has 20 cabins, with staff and a resident-led council providing support around safety and accountability. Its model pairs housing with case managers and healthcare partners as residents work toward permanent housing. The organization says it is working to develop additional places where residents can find stability and support. These are the nonprofit’s own descriptions of its work.
The first pilgrimage, in 2025, brought 15 people along the same 33-mile route, according to New Beginnings. The organization said that group raised more than $51,000. This year’s event continues the idea: use a public journey to create conversation and invite neighbors into an effort that lasts beyond one weekend.
For people who cannot walk the full distance, Saturday offers a short way to take part. Meeting the group at Walker Park for the final mile would let families, friends and other residents join the closing stretch, then stay for a shared meal. The event is scheduled to end at New Beginnings’ campus, where the organization’s work is centered.
The walk began Thursday, Oct. 15, and is scheduled to finish Saturday, Oct. 17. The cited coverage does not report a 2026 fundraising total. What is already clear is the shape of the invitation: walk together, listen to people with lived experience, and keep the conversation about housing connected to the neighbors who need a place to call home.
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