Who is he?
A previously homeless man living in Winchester, Virginia
Where have you heard of him?
You haven’t. But he’s awesome.
(Disclaimer: You will be guilt-tripped by this story.)
Jerry McClard is 65 and has lived in a homeless shelter for eight years—but that didn’t stop him from donating $2,500 to local charities that he says were integral in helping him clean up his life.
After slowly saving up from his monthly social security checks, McClard donated $1000 to the nonprofit Community Coalition Action Project that helps teach trades to the homeless, $1000 to the Winchester Rescue Mission where he’s lived since 2002, and $500 to a free clinic that helped him diagnose his cancer early.
“He had the opportunity. He could have done anything he wanted with the money,” said Jimmy Demartinis of the Winchester Rescue Mission. “But his heart told him to give it to where it’s most needed.”
Despite having the means to move out, McClard still lives and works at the mission by choice. “If I hadn’t have lived here, I might not be talking to you today,” he said.
When prompted, the only piece of advice he had for the rest of world was this: “When you see people who are homeless—remember that they’re people, too.”