Homeless man in California gifted nearly $100K after donating his last dollar

By Alys Martinez

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    IRVINE, California (KCAL, KCBS) — A homeless man from Irvine is off the streets tonight after a social media influencer and his fanbase raised nearly $100,000 to thank him for his kind gesture.

“It tested me, every part of me, and to reach this point today, I’m just so thankful to everyone who helped me out,” Jeff Daley said. “I really appreciate it.”

Daley has been homeless for eight years, sleeping on the streets in a sleeping bag. However, his life changed after he encountered influencer Jimmy Darts while working his new job at an Irvine Sprouts Market. Darts walked up to Daley and asked for money, even though the influencer didn’t really need it. Looking to help someone in need, Daley gave him his last dollar.

“I was thinking to myself, ‘Oh my gosh, this man needs baby food for a child,'” Daley said. “You know, what kind of person would say no to that. I’m not built like that.”

Darts, known for helping people, gave Daley $500 on the spot. After the encounter, Darts’ legion of followers donated to a fundraiser for Daley, which has reached $94,746 within four days.

“People, they’re having so much fun blessing you because they saw what you were going through,” Darts said. “The thing is, you kicked this off. Jeff, with your generosity, maybe none of us would’ve been as generous as you were in that same situation.”

Daley is staying in a hotel while Darts helps him find a more permanent place to live.

“I was wondering if I was going to be dying out here on the street, but now I’m thinking I’m not going to be,” Daley said.

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