Homeless man gives up his last few bucks; thankful NJ woman returns with $30K
It can be a terrifying experience for anyone to run out of gas on a busy road like Route 95, but that was exactly the situation Kate McClure found herself in last month on her way to Philadelphia.
Little did she know that a homeless Marine veteran would be there to save the day, using his last $20 to walk to a gas station and get her on her way.
Now, thanks to a GoFundMe page and the kindness of other strangers, McClure has raised more than $30,000, which she said she hopes to use to help Johnny get back on his feet.
"Johnny did not ask me for a dollar, and I couldn't repay him at that moment because I didn't have any cash," McClure says on the fundraising site. She says she has returned to the same spot several times to bring Johnny everything from food to money to gift cards.
Saying she wished she could do more for "this selfless man," McClure described Johnny as "a great guy, and talking to him each time I see him makes me want to help him more and more."
McClure told NJ.com that Johnny had been homeless for almost a year after a job fell through. Prior to that, he said he had worked as a paramedic after his time in the Marines. The NJ.com story noted that Johnny had also lost his paperwork, which made getting a job harder.
The GoFundMe was established with a goal of raising $10,000 for the man, and less than two weeks later the generosity of strangers helped McClure raise more than triple the original goal. With that money, McClure said she hoped to help Johnny secure housing, a car and money for personal expenses.
McClure told the Courier-Post that she was stunned by the generosity of people giving to the fundraising effort, saying that it "just blew up."
"When I look at (the GoFundMe), it blows my mind," the Courier-Post quoted her as saying. "It's actually going to happen for him."
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Contact reporter Adam Hochron at 609-359-5326 or Adam.Hochron@townsquaremedia.com