A woman was driving into Philadelphia, on her way to visit her friend, when she suddenly ran out of gas on I-95. A homeless man spotted her pulling over and knew something was wrong. He told the woman to climb back into her car for safety and lock the doors. The man then used his last $20 to buy her gas, to send her safely on her way.
Woman runs out of gas on the way into Philly
27-year-old Kate McClure was driving on Interstate 95 on her way into Philadelphia one evening when it happened. She had noticed her gas light come on, but mistakenly believed she would be able to make it to her friend’s house before running out.
However, it turned out she was wrong. She said this was the first time she had ever run out of gas and was very nervous. Suddenly a homeless man came up to her car.
WOW! Donations For Homeless Veteran Who Gave His Last $20 For Gas To A Stranded Woman Now Reaches $240K! #SupportUSAVeterans 😃👍🏼🇺🇸https://t.co/QB2Zlon6iL
— 💫✨Trump & Twinkle Toes✨💫 (@KimwithpanacheG) November 24, 2017
Homeless man spends his last $20 on gas
Introducing himself as Johnny, the man told her to get back in her car and make sure she locked the doors. After a few minutes’ wait, he came back with a gas can in hand. Johnny had used his last $20 to ensure she could get safely home. McClure had no money on her at the time, but she said she has stopped by at his spot over the last few weeks.
She not only repaid the homeless vet his $20, but also gave him a jacket, hat, gloves and warm socks. McClure also gives him a few dollars each time she sees him.
McClure recalled one time when she visited Johnny and gave him several cereal bars. His instant response was to ask her if she wanted one. This made her decide there was more she could do for this kind Good Samaritan.
She headed to GoFundMe.com and opened a crowdfunding campaign to help Johnny. The campaign went viral, quickly reaching the initial goal of $10,000.
Paying it Forward - woman raising money for generous homeless vet https://t.co/TDMpe3wgDM
— Anne Sewell (@anners2008) November 24, 2017
However, it kept on going, and when the total reached $100,000, Johnny asked her to take down the crowdfunding page.
He said he didn’t want people to think he was taking advantage of their kind generosity. However, as interest in the story continued, McClure restarted the fundraising campaign, which has now reached an astonishing $293,247 at the time of writing.
Homeless man hoping for job with Amazon
Bored Panda quotes McClure as saying Johnny is keen to find a job and she believes that if he has a place where he can clean up and good a good sleep, the homeless vet could turn his situation around. She went on to say he was previously in the Marines as an ammunition technician and had since worked as a paramedic and firefighter before falling on difficult times.
The New York Post reports that the homeless vet is hoping to get employment at a Robbinsville Amazon warehouse and reportedly a recruiter has already reached out to say she would like to help Johnny get a job. Johnny’s openhearted generosity and concern for McClure have worked wonders for the homeless man, who will hopefully return to normal society in the near future.