He goes by Skeet. I don't know his last name. He was sitting outside a grocery store in Berkeley, California, yesterday, as he often does. People who pass by sometimes give him a dollar for the latest issue of "Street Spirit" -- a newspaper about homeless life.
He guarded my bicycle for me as I shopped because I didn't have a lock with me. We got to talking. He told me a sad but true story (which I'll tell you by email if you'd like to hear it). He has no criminal record. Quit drugs and alcohol many years ago. Helps people like me. Intelligent and knowledgeable. Sometimes pauses to cough as he speaks, trying to recover from a recent bout of heavy pneumonia.
He stays outside all night; I don't know if he sleeps during the day or after dark. He started giving me good advice about how to tune up my bicycle, which is something he did for a living many years ago. And about dealing with the old tires and dumb rims I have on an otherwise good used car I just bought. (This morning, two days after I met him at the grocery store, he called me to tell me he thinks he found rims and tires in good condition that fit my car at a price I can afford!)
We also talked about what I might do with my old car. I thought I might be able to sell it to him for small monthly payments, but remembered I'd be personally liable in the event of an accident, so decided against that. Still, a car would at least give him a place to sleep, and his pneumonia might lighten up. And etc. It's so hard to live without a car, especially if you're sick, tired, and unsheltered.
The old car is a Toyota Camry, and still very reliable. Based on ads for similar cars, it would probably sell for at least $1200. But I make very little money myself, and need the cash to help cover the cost of the newer car. So rather than give up on the idea of getting Skeet into a reliable car for all the immense benefits that would give him, I thought I'd put his story and this situation out there on GoFundMe.
Skeet is kind, helpful, smart, honest, and in need of some help.
I'll donate the first $200. If ten people here at gofundme help out with half that, or 20 people help out with $50, or 40 people help out with $25, or 100 help out with $10, we can give him a car! If we exceed $1000, we can give him the rest and maybe it will help with the medical care he needs.
Thanks for reading this! Thanks for considering! Thanks for your kind generosity -- which will go directly to helping a really good person in a huge way! Rainy season is coming. Let's get this done today!
That's a really nice thing you're doing for this guy! Good luck with your fundraising campaign, hope it succeeds!
Please do a repeat post on this.