Woman raises £200,000 for homeless man who rescued her with his last £15
A New Jersey woman has helped raise more than $290,000 (£210,000) for a homeless man who spent his last $20 (£15) to help her get home when she became stranded.
Kate McClure was driving to Philadelphia in October when she ran out of fuel and decided to leave her vehicle to walk to the nearest petrol station.
“My heart was beating out of my chest,” she explained. “I pulled over as far as I could, and got out of the car to head to the nearest gas station. That’s when I met Johnny.”
Johnny Bobbitt Jr has been living on the streets of Pennsylvania’s largest city for the past 18 months and spends every day sitting on the side of the road holding a sign asking strangers for help.
“He saw me pull over and knew something was wrong,” Ms McClure recalled. “He told me to get back in the car and lock the doors. A few minutes later, he comes back with a red gas can. Using his last $20 to make sure I could get home safe.
“Johnny did not ask me for a dollar, and I couldn’t repay him at that moment because I didn’t have any cash, but I have been stopping by his spot for the past few weeks.
“I repaid him for the gas, gave him a jacket, gloves, a hat, and warm socks, and I give him a few dollars every time I see him.
“He is such a great guy, and talking to him each time I see him makes me want to help him more and more.”
Inspired by his act of kindness, she and her boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, decided to start a GoFundMe page with goal of raising $10,000 (£7,500) to help get the former marine veteran back on his feet.
“With the money, I would like to get him first and last month’s rent at an apartment, a reliable vehicle, and 4-6 months worth of expenses,” she said.
“He is very interested in finding a job, and I believe that with a place to be able to clean up every night and get a good night’s rest, his life can get back to being normal.”
She added that Johnny “is beyond humbled by the amount of support and love he has received over the last few days”.
He said the donations would “change his life”. Ms McClure said the worldwide support has been “unreal”.
