Woman Raises Over $365,000 for Homeless Veteran After He Helped Her When She Was Stranded

A 34-year-old homeless veteran, Johnny Bobbitt Jr., will be the recipient of a hefty gift after he gave a woman his last 20 dollars when she was stranded on a highway in Pennsylvania.

Kate McClure, 27, first met Bobbitt last month when her car ran out of gas on an interstate in Philadelphia, she revealed on a GoFundMe page for the man.

"He saw me pull over and knew something was wrong," she said of Bobbitt, who usually sits on the side of the road every day. "He told me to get back in the car and lock the doors. A few minutes later, he comes back with a red gas can. Using his last $20 to make sure I could get home safe."

Since that time, McClure has visited Bobbitt many times, giving him money, clothes, food and supplies. She decided to step up her efforts, and has raised more than $365,000 for the veteran.

The woman told the Philadelphia Inquirer that she and boyfriend, Mark D'Amico, were set on helping Bobbitt after he helped her.

"We were like, 'Man, if we could change this guy's life,' " she said. "And that's when we came up with the idea of GoFundMe."

After McClure began to share the story, the donations started pouring in. In just under two weeks, thousands of people have given money to the fundraiser.

The couple plans to manage the donations and use the money to rent Bobbitt an apartment, pay for his food, clothing, transportation and more.

"He knows where he's at and he knows what he has to do to dig himself out," D'Amico said. "It's almost impossible to dig himself out if he has nobody and nothing. If we can raise enough money to set him up for a few months, where he doesn't have to worry about where he's going to sleep and what he's going to eat, then he can get a job and go about his life."

Bobbitt was an ammunition technician in the marines. A friend of his said he was a talented paramedic with a "good heart," but fell on hard times because of drug and money issues.

"He is very interested in finding a job, and I believe that with a place to be able to clean up every night and get a good night's rest, his life can get back to being normal," McClure wrote. "Truly believe that all Johnny needs is one little break."