A New Jersey woman has raised more than $160,000 for the homeless man who used his last $20 for gas while she was stranded on the side of the road.
The woman and her boyfriend are now looking to find the good Samaritan a home and help him get back on his feet.
Kate McClure, 27, had to pull over on I-95 in Philadelphia during a trip to see her friend.
She spotted the man identified as Johnny Bobbitt on the side of the road, who seemed to tell she had a problem as she nudged the car to the side of the road.
“My heart was beating out of my chest,†McClure recently told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I didn’t know what the heck to do.â€
He told her to lock the doors and disappeared.
Bobbitt, a former Marine who’s fallen on hard times, returned a few minutes later with a red can of gas — having paid for it with the last $20 to his name.
“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,†she wrote on the GoFundMe page set up for him.
The Florence, N.J., resident would bring him essentials — like a coat, cereal bars and water — at his usual spot whenever she visited Philadelphia.
She and her boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, wanted to do more, however.
So they kicked off the GoFundMe page intent on raising $10,000.
The money, she said on the page, would pay the first and last month rent on an apartment as well as expenses while Bobbitt got on his feet.
“Truly believe that all Johnny needs is one little break. Hopefully with your help I can be the one to give it to him,†she wrote.
But the page has since gone viral, raising more than $161,000 as of Thursday morning. Most of the money has come in on Thanksgiving, since the account had only raised $34,000 by Wednesday night.
Posted by Abdul