Whether the days are blisteringly hot or windswept and cold, Kenny calls a makeshift shelter on Gatineau, Que.鈥檚 Laurier Street home. Nearly every day, Norm Schrie passes the homeless man on his way to work.
Schrie has helped Kenny when he could over the past year, providing food and warm clothing. But wanting to do a little more this Christmas, he recently launched a that has already raised more than $6,200 with the help of some 130 people.
On Friday, Schrie and a group of friends visited Kenny to deliver the good news.
鈥淚t鈥檚 your money,鈥� Schrie said, showing Kenny the page鈥檚 balance on a smartphone while CTV Ottawa鈥檚 camera rolled.
鈥淲ow,鈥� Kenny said, quickly becoming emotional. 鈥淭hank you so much. I thought nobody really even cared.鈥�
鈥淣o matter what I do, this is where he remains and I can鈥檛 imagine that,鈥� Schrie told CTV Ottawa soon after while choking back tears. 鈥淪o I just wanted to try, you know, and it worked.鈥�
All of that money was raised in just 11 days.
鈥淗e has the means now to get himself off the street,鈥� Schrie added. 鈥淎nd not just first and last month鈥檚 rent, but enough to give him a new life and get him going and keep him there.鈥�
Schrie also handed Kenny donated restaurant gift certificates on Friday, as well as dozens of notes of encouragement that were posted to the GoFundMe page.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to read every last word of this,鈥� Kenny said.
On Friday, Kenny even received a Christmas invitation from a local woman who once was homeless too.
鈥淭his is what Christmas is,鈥� Colette Beardall told CTV Ottawa. 鈥淚t鈥檚 reaching out to other people and making sure they aren鈥檛 left behind or not remembered.鈥�
For Sandy Sharkey, who helped spread the word about the GoFundMe page, gestures like this are what the holidays are all about.
鈥淲e hope that more people will see this story and not in the future walk by anymore,鈥� she said. 鈥淪top, talk: everyone has a story.鈥�
With a report from CTV Ottawa鈥檚 Katie Griffin
