Rags to Riches
A woman helped raise almost $400,000 for a homeless man who used his last twenty dollars to buy her gas.
Kate McClure was driving to Philadelphia using Interstate I-95 when she ran out of gas. She pulled off on the nearest exit ramp and got out to search by foot for the nearest gas station. That was when she met a homeless man who happened to be standing at the end of the exit ramp.
“He saw me pull over and knew something was wrong. He told me to get back in the car and lock the doors,” McClure said. She recalled seeing him walking back with a can of gas and later found out he had spent the last of his money on it. “He didn’t ask me for a dollar,” she wrote.
— Ka
In an attempt to give back, she started a GoFundMe campaign for Bobbit, along with paying him back in full and giving him a hat, gloves, socks, and a jacket. The original goal of the GoFundMe page was to raise $10,000 for “first and last month’s rent at an apartment, a reliable vehicle, and 4-6 months’ worth of expenses.” As of Thursday afternoon, however, the page has raised almost $400,000, exceeding the original amount by almost 40 times. “I wish that I could do more for this selfless man,” she wrote about Bobbit.
In a video on YouTube about the raised money, Bobbit says, “God, that’s amazing. Y’all did that. That is awesome.” He seems to be overwhelmingly grateful for everything that is being done for him.
“One day, I stopped to see him and had a few things in the bag to give him, one of which was a box of cereal bars so he could have something that he could carry around and eat. He was very appreciative as usual, and the first thing he said was, ‘Do you want one?’” McClure wrote on the GoFundMe page.
In a recent update on the page, responding to concerns about how the money is being spent, McClure shared that “the first thing on the list is a new home which Johnny will own…the second will be the dream truck he’s always wanted…a 1999 Ford Ranger.” Two trusts will also be set up in his name, one of which will act as a retirement fund. A separate bank account will also be set up for everyday needs. Bobbit also plans to donate a portion of the money to various organizations and friends who have helped him.
