Almost before the ink was dry on the paper, I was getting calls and e-mails from people who wanted to help. Rich people, poor people, local people and distant people, all touched by Tom's plight. The offers included advice on dealing with the system, legal advice, housing advice and cash.
To recap, Tom, 55, works full-time as a security guard and lives in a small, two-bedroom apartment that he used to split with his aunt. She died, he was hospitalized with osteoarthritis and was moved to a lower-paying job because he can no longer walk without crutches. When I interviewed Tom, he was down to his last $200 and couldn't pay his full $900 monthly rent. His monthly salary is $1,060, so, clearly, he needed some fast help - and a cheaper place to live.
It has to be pet-friendly, because Tom lives with two cats, Buddy, 4, and Misha, 12. An insight into Tom: He would find a new home, if he had to, for his beloved Misha, because she's a friendly cat and would fit into any good home. He'd never surrender Buddy because, as a former street cat, he is "not trusting." Tom would keep Buddy because he fears no one else would.
Tom was "too young" and earned "too much" ($11 an hour) to get government aid. Like many of the working poor, he fell between the cracks.
I told you his story, told you he was at the end of his rope. Then the offers starting flowing.
On Friday, I delivered an amazing $10,000 to Tom and escorted him to the bank.
"I am flabbergasted - I never expected this in a million years," Tom said, adding that some say that people are uncaring. "I don't think so. They just don't know" about other people's needs.
Half came from the oft-maligned Joey Vento, owner of Geno's Steaks, who sent a check for $5,000.
