When Johnny, a homeless man based in Philadelphia, spent his last $20, he wasn’t looking at it as an investment – but it’s about to pay him huge dividends. After he helped a New Jersey woman who ran out of gas, she returned the favor by raising a lot more on the internet. And by a lot, I mean more than a quarter of a million dollars.
Kate McClure, 27, was driving into Philadelphia to visit a friend when she ran out of gas on Interstate 95. “He saw me pull over and knew something was wrong,” she wrote. “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 dollars to make sure I could get home safe.”
She couldn’t repay him at that time because she had no cash with her. “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.”
One day, when she bought a few cereal bars for Johnny, he responded by asking “Do you want one?” Kate decided to do more for the good Samaritan, so she started a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe.com, and it quickly gained far beyond its initial $10,000 goal.
“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.” According to her, Johnny was an ammunition technician in the Marines and had been a firefighter and paramedic before getting hit by hard times.
The fundraising page was taken down for a time at Johnny’s request when it reached $100,000 because he didn’t want to seem like he was taking advantage of the situation. Eventually, McClure said that she restarted it because interest had not abated. She also added that Johnny is more than pleased with the amount and he plans to donate the rest to a good cause.
According to the New York Post, Johnny wants to get a job at an Amazon warehouse in Robbinsville, New Jersey and a recruiter from the tech company has already reached out, saying she wants to help him secure a spot.
Meet Kate McClure, a 27-year-old woman from New Jersey who raised $289,099 to change a homeless man’s life
Image credits: Kate McClure
She was driving into Philadelphia to visit a friend when she ran out of gas on Interstate 95. This was when she met Johnny
Image credits: gofundme
“He saw me pull over and knew something was wrong. He told me to get back in the car and lock the doors”
Image credits: Associated Press
“A few minutes later, he comes back with a red gas can. Using his last 20 dollars to make sure I could get home safe”
Image credits: Kate McClure
Johnny was an ammunition technician in the Marines and had been a firefighter and paramedic before getting hit by hard times
Image credits: gofundme
Image credits: gofundme
McClure started a funding campaign to pay Johnny back, and his initial reaction was priceless
As of this article, the campaign has reached $289,099, and the Internet believes Johnny is worth every penny
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