Social Worker Raises Over €75,000 for Homeless with 120 km Walk
A social worker at a Brussels hospital has raised more than €75,000 for homeless people by walking 120 kilometres from Liège to the Belgian capital, capping his journey by joining the city’s annual 20 km race. Julien Vande Weyer, an emergency department social worker at CHU Saint-Pierre, completed the “Un pas, un toit” (One Step, One Roof) challenge on Sunday, May 31, arriving at Parc du Cinquantenaire on Sunday morning to the cheers of thousands of runners preparing for the 46th edition of the 20 km de Bruxelles.
A Challenge Born from Tragedy
The fundraiser, which has a target of €100,000, supports Infirmiers de Rue (Street Nurses), a non-profit organisation that provides medical care and housing support to homeless individuals in Brussels and Liège. Vande Weyer previously worked for the organisation for two years before joining the hospital.
The project has deeply personal roots. On June 19, 2025, Vande Weyer was stabbed multiple times during a shift at the hospital by a homeless patient suffering from psychiatric issues. He suffered damage to four organs, spent two days in a coma and nine days in intensive care. A security guard, Nassim Taïk, disarmed the attacker, preventing further casualties. A nurse, Théo Vandevelde, was also injured in the attack.
“I wanted to be able to get up from this aggression with all the positivity I have,” Vande Weyer told La Libre Belgique. “I combined the physical side with a solidarity action.”
The Journey
Vande Weyer departed from Liège on Friday afternoon, May 29, accompanied by a support team and two friends on bicycles filming the journey. He walked and ran through the night, connecting the two branches of Infirmiers de Rue in Liège and Brussels. Upon arriving at the Cinquantenaire on Sunday morning, he immediately joined the 20 km de Bruxelles race, bringing his total distance to approximately 120 to 140 kilometres.
“I never would have believed I would receive so many messages of solidarity and encouragement,” he told RTBF, visibly emotional. “I’ve been pulling this project for four months, it’s sensational.”
Addressing a Growing Crisis
The fundraiser comes at a critical time for Brussels, where nearly 10,000 people are homeless in the Brussels-Capital Region — a figure that continues to rise. Infirmiers de Rue operates on a “Housing First” model, providing permanent housing as a foundation for addressing health and social issues rather than relying on emergency shelters.
“The problem of homelessness has become greater over the years,” said Koen Van den Broeck, communications manager at Infirmiers de Rue, as reported by RTBF. “For now, these figures do not seem to be decreasing.”
Van den Broeck praised Vande Weyer’s achievement: “Julien’s commitment is incredible. On top of that, he has raised an enormous amount of money. This is a huge success for Infirmiers de Rue, both in terms of visibility and financially.”
Resilience and Solidarity
Vande Weyer returned to work at the hospital just three months after the attack, in September 2025. The crowdfunding campaign, which he launched in February, had already surpassed €50,000 before the walk began, according to The Brussels Times. By the time he crossed the finish line on Sunday, the total had climbed past €75,000.
The irony that his attacker was himself homeless and suffering from psychiatric issues is not lost on Vande Weyer, who had worked with the homeless population before joining the hospital. Rather than bitterness, his response has been one of remarkable empathy and action.
“The idea is to say that rehousing homeless people in emergency shelters is not a sustainable solution,” he explained.
What’s Next
With the campaign approaching its €100,000 target, the funds will support Infirmiers de Rue’s ongoing work, including street medical care, housing placement, and long-term support for homeless individuals. The organisation, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, continues to advocate for structural solutions to homelessness in Belgium.
Vande Weyer’s story has resonated widely across Belgium, covered by both French-language media (La Libre, RTBF, DHnet) and English-language outlets. His journey from hospital bed to finishing line stands as a powerful testament to resilience — and a reminder that even the most traumatic experiences can be transformed into forces for good.