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A FUND SET up to raise money for a homeless man who helped a woman when her car ran out of gas in Philadelphia has collected more than $318,000 (€235,000) .
The GoFundMe campaign was started by Bordentown, New Jersey, resident Kate McClure this month after she was stuck along Interstate 95 and Johnny Bobbitt Jr. bought her some gas with his last $20.
McClure said she didn’t have any money to repay him at the time but returned to the road several times to give him cash, clothes and food.
After a few visits, she started the fundraiser with the hopes of using the money toward housing and other expenses for the 34-year-old Bobbitt.
“I wish that I could do more for this selfless man, who went out of his way just to help me that day,” she wrote on the fundraising page. “Truly believe that all Johnny needs is one little break. Hopefully with your help I can be the one to give it to him.”
McClure says she didn’t have money to pay him back but she returned to his spot several times in the following days to give him cash, clothes and food. She says she then started the fundraiser hoping to collect $10,000 to cover housing and other expenses for him.
McClure says she wishes she “could do more for this selfless man.”
Donations had poured in from about 10,000 people by yesterday.
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Isn’t it just great to hear such a ‘feel good story’ instead of hearing the bad news stories that we get day in and day out.
Restores your faith in humanity and I wish both people in this story all the best.
@Derek Rochford: can’t wait to see the engagement ring he’ll buy her with all the cash.
@Gareth Cooney: not cool Gareth.
@Derek Rochford: Yes…if we didn’t have homeless people good things like this would never happen
@Mary Murphy: Maybe you could be ‘the good citizen’ and house someone free of charge in one of your properties!!!
Very decent of the woman to do this.. wouldn’t it be nice if more people could do this when helped out..
@OCallaghan TP: wouldn’t it be nice if the USA wasn’t a neo liberal hellhole
it goes once again to show – NEVER judge a book by its cover.
Good luck to both.
Hopefully this is a real story but something doesn’t sound right . How did the conversation about not having enough gas money even start ? Did she approach a homeless man looking for money or was he just walking by and noticed ?
@Darren Moore: stop trying to pick apart a story about human decency. The story doesn’t hurt you or affect you.
@Brendan Hughes: I’m not and hopefully it’s true but lots of these stories turn out to be scams .
@Darren Moore: human altruism exists.
A cynic will never be disappointed but a cynic will also never see the good in life.
@Darren Moore:
You are right in saying some scams exist. A sad fact of life. Thankfully, when those scams exist but get massive high media profile, it’s sometimes not long before a journalist does some good digging and exposes the true tales from the made-up ones, invented to manipulate people’s generosity.
@Darren Moore: she broke down and was walking to petrol station, he was living beside highway and told her it was v dangerous area to back to her car lock her doors and he would get it for her, he went and got her petrol with last bit of money. He seems like a real genuinely decent person who fell on hard times the lady posted photos from a Facebook a/c he had, he used to be a helicopter paramedic and a fireman but a lot of people are only a few steps from being homeless
@Darren Moore: it is suspicious alright. Who walks on the interstate?? But I’m going to choose to believe it and I’m happy for that homeless guy.
It’s the stories on Facebook that coincidentally happen to have someone there just at the right time to video that are scams and the people who make it up are sick and the people who be live it are idiots. Along with people (mostly women) who buy into every shred of bullshit they read on Facebook. Idiots.
Rant over. I feel better now.
@Darren Moore: could be a scam. The three of em could be splitting 300k right now laughing laughing at the types that vote zealously for an economic/political system that inevitably creates homelessness but quietens their conscience with acts of “charity”
@Fiona deFreyne: altruism exists but it’s rare. Most apparant charity is an excerise in ego under the cover of altruism.
@Darren Moore: third last paragraph makes zero sense, unfortunately in this day and age I’m a cynical old
@Fiona deFreyne:
Nah I’m just don’t buy everything I’m fed …..
This is cool. I honestly think, with most people, helping out comes more naturally than turning the other cheek. You just never hear of the every day stories that happen. Hope he gets sorted, seems like a good ‘un
Cool. Maybe the future of the welfare state will be some form of decentralised, merit- based system of provision mediated by Facebook. Oh, brave new world!
@thenightmancometh: Well the justice system seems to have been relegated to online sentencing, so why not welfare.
@thenightmancometh: In fairness, its an interesting concept. Being paid well for being a decent human being. However, it would pose a threat to the powers that be if people weren’t divided.
@thenightmancometh: exactly, pay welfare but only if the social welfare officer happens to find you sympathetic. Facebook pitch for pity followed by vote, thumbs up or thumbs down.
Sounds like a really well thought out scam.the bleeding heart brigade are an easy target.
@Anthony Brennan: careful, apparently I’m a cynic and all sorts for thinking the same thing . I would be delighted if this was a genuine story it’s covered by nearly every news agency . However logically some of it doesn’t make sense . The lady had no money but attempted to walk to the gas station . What would she have done when she got there ? She had no money . Had she no mobile phone ( multiple pictures with the homeless man at the side of the road ) ? Surely if you got in trouble on a motorway the first call would be to someone ( like your husband in this case ) to come help you . The story elsewhere also suggests that the couple are also managing the fund rather than the man which again is very strange .
@Darren Moore: we have a turd in the punch bowl, repeat turd in the punch bowl.
@thenightmancometh: we have a douche in the punchbowl repeat douche in the punchbowl. Sucka lol
@thenightmancometh: Aisle 3 spillage in the baby food aisle we need all hands repeat all hands
‘Honey..where are you?’
‘I’m out on here on the motorway with Johnny Bobbit..he’s looking after me really well’
‘OK, that’s it. I want a divorce’
@Dean Moriarity:
She is quite safe his ex cut Bobbits mickie off years ago
@Fran Kembo: haha John ‘Wayne’ Bobbitt a blast from the past that
@Noel James Doherty: is it his son? It was what I thought of first. I give generously but never to just giving pages don’t trust that site at all.
Here’s a tip folks. Carry an emergency 50 Euro note in your car. Works a treat. Also look at the fuel gauge every once in a while. It’s kinda important.
@Sean: 50€ what’s that for?
@Jas: Gas, Jas
An American without a credit card???
Reminds me of the young man who died just a few months back in the States..He started a ‘go fund me’ drive which he was hoping that the funds that he would raise would buy him his life- saving insulin..Unfortunately the poor guy came up just $50 short..
The poor lad was after rationing his insulin after he aged out of insurance coverage through his parents…
Not carrying 20 dollars. Can never understand people who don’t carry sufficient cash for an emergency .
Cool. Maybe the future of twelfare
I can see a stint on the Ellen show in the near future and with that there is usually a lot more perks and help available as companies are happy to give Ellen almost anything in return for the free advertising. This could set this man and his two friends up for life. Hopefully !!!!!
Charity is the symptom and not the cure of systemic social injustices, mostly based on inequalities of wealth and power.
Making donations is more gratifying than voting for social democracy.
Right I’m off to buy a can of petrol for any opportunities that might arise. That’s serious return on investment right there.
So does he get all that money or is she going to give 30 homeless people ten grand?
Eh,?
Why do you (journal),have to print it twice?
Why do you( journal )have to print it twice?
That’s the kind of good deed that lifts the spirit. Well done everyone involved!
@June Rose-Sommer: one born every minute
Damn onions…
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