November 23, 2017
WHY hE PUTS UP WITH US:
How a homeless man's selfless act paid off in ways he couldn't imagine (PRISCILLA DEGREGORY & DANIKA FEARS, 11/23/17, NY Post)
A homeless man used the last $20 in his pocket to buy gas for a stranded motorist because he feared for her safety -- and what she did next changed his life.Kate McClure, 27, and her boyfriend, Mark D'Amico, 38, made it their mission to get ex-Marine and firefighter Johnny Bobbit Jr. back on his feet with a fundraising campaign that has raised more than $65,000.Bobbit came to McClure's aid last month, when she ran out of gas on I-95 at night while driving to meet a pal in Philadelphia.As she walked toward the nearest gas station, he told her to get back in her car and lock the doors.Bobbit then spent his last $20 to buy her gas so she would get home safe."He came back and I was almost in shock," McClure told The Post.Bobbit asked for nothing in return -- but McClure and her boyfriend stopped by his spot several times in recent weeks, repaying him for the gas money and dropping off clothes."We went to Target and got him a big backpack filled with stuff, and he opened the granola bars and offered us one," she said. "We are like, 'We just got this for you.' He's extremely generous."Touched by his selflessness, they started the fundraising campaign for Bobbit with a goal of $10,000 -- enough to cover "first and last month's rent at an apartment, a reliable vehicle, and 4 to 6 months worth of expenses."They had no idea it would climb toward $70,000."This is nuts," McClure said of the money they've raised through GoFundMe. "It has changed my entire outlook about people, my outlook about people has skyrocketed. It's the best Thanksgiving that I've ever had."
Posted by Orrin Judd at November 23, 2017 5:44 AM
