His name is Garth Poorman, and he’s a man on a mission.

Poorman, who left his home in Hebron in upstate New York on August 29, is walking all the way to New Orleans.

Along the way, he is looking for a few kind and generous hearts.

“I wanted to see if I could walk half-way across America, depending solely on the kindness of friends and strangers to share dinner with me and host me in their homes for one night as I make my way south, 10 to 20 miles at a time,” said Poorman.

The son of a Presbyterian minister, Poorman, a 36-year-old former teacher and business manager, has already covered more than 1,000 miles on his four-month trek.

It’s not about publicity, he says.

“This trip is more of a personal, spiritual journey. It’s based on my belief that sharing human fellowship and meeting new friends are two of the most rewarding experiences a human can have,” he says.

Along the way, he’s enjoyed toasting marshmallows over bonfires, watching the Auburn/Alabama game in Georgia (they were rather unhappy with the outcome), and eating home-cooked meals with The Friends Formerly Known as Strangers. More than 77 hosts from all walks of life have already played host to Poorman.

He’s also randomly met many kind souls during his journey, including the gas station worker near Dalton, Ga. who saw him passing by and offered him a free Gatorade after seeing Poorman’s photo in the local paper.

Along with photos, Poorman has detailed his walk on his blogsite, “Follow Your Bliss,” at www.poormanwalking.com.

He is also enlisting the aid of local newspapers along his route to share his story and help him locate good Samaritans willing to share their hearts and homes with him.

Now in Alabama, Poorman is scheduled to arrive in the Hayneville area on Sunday, December 13; Fort Deposit, Monday, December 14; Greenville, Tuesday, December 15; Georgiana, Wednesday, December 16 and Evergreen, Thursday, December 17.

Anyone wishing to contact Poorman may do so by e-mail at garth.poorman@gmail.com or reach him by cellphone at 646-706-6812.