Newburyport, Massachusetts Man Walks Across America to Improve Lives

What a pleasure it was for me to speak with Oliver Pinyochon this week.  You might not know the name, but take my word for it, he's an exceptional human.  Oliver is walking across America to raise money for a non-profit organization in South Africa.

Oliver is originally from Hampstead, New Hampshire, but he now resides in Newburyport, Massachusetts. His parents started the restaurant Brown Sugar by the Sea in Newburyport, but his Mom, Caroline Joliffe, run it.  She also opened Joy Nest, almost across the street from the original restaurant.

Oliver graduated from Connecticut College in 2023 as a Sociology and environmental studies major.  He loved talking to people and having human connection.  Oliver got a job as a paralegal out of college, but it wasn't his type of job.  He was strapped to a desk and wanted to be out there exploring the world.

He then moved to Thailand for about 4 months and came back to the U.S. with a strong desire to explore even more.  Oliver had to come back and work for a bit to make money to travel and then he was off to South Africa in 2025.

South Africa is where he got involved with the Sound of a Smile.  Oliver fell in love with the positivity and the mission of the whole program.  While he was volunteering there, he found out that the founder, Sam Fuller, is from Somerville, Massachusetts.   He reached out and told him he wanted to raise money doing something really unique.

At the time, Oliver was also reading a book called, "A Walk Across America," by Peter Jenkins.  Once he knew that was possible, the idea stuck.

What is The Sound of a Smile Non-Profit?

Sam has been going to Nature's Valley in South Africa for about 7 or 8 years.  He was just doing volunteer work for the people there who still struggle with the affects of apartheid.  The people there don't receive much support, so people like Sam provide help with education for the kids to learn languages, create a safe spaces and help with food security.  Sound of a Smile also helps with housing.

To give you context of the difference between two areas, the U.S. has everything, no lack of food or water - Kurland is a concentrated community.  Some houses are structurally sound, but then there are others that are only constructed with plywood on the walls.  Not everyone has a car, there are dirt floors in their houses, no hot water, no grocery stores.

What is the Goal and How You Can Help

On Sunday, January 25, 2026, Oliver will set off from Huntington Beach to Newburyport, Massachusetts. He plans on sleeping in tents all across the country if he can find a space.  He is also relying on the kindness of strangers. All along the route, he will be bringing awareness to the "Sound of a Smile" program and collecting donations.

If you would like to help support this cause, just click here to make any donation amount.

Find out more about Oliver here.

I'll be following Oliver's journey across country and can't wait until he makes it back safely to Newburyport, but not as much as Caroline.

Safe travels, Oliver!