A 65-year-old man forced into homelessness despite working all his life was “totally shocked” after a fundraiser was set up to help him.
Former colleagues of Gary Evans, who has been sleeping rough in Ramsgate, started the GoFundMe after hearing about his plight this week.
When the amusement park employee left his private rental flat of 13 years to embark on a fresh career as a live-in carer it was impossible to predict the devastating chain of events to follow.
With the woman he cared for dying, Mr Evans quickly burnt through his £500 savings on hotels, and found his wages and benefits insufficient for a home.
He earns between £200 and £700 a month, depending on the season, with up to £393 universal credit, in the lower months.
Mr Evans is now “very happy” following the kind gesture.
He told KentOnline: “That’s so touching.
“I’m totally shocked.
“It’s amazing and I’m very grateful.
“I can’t even put it into words but I feel very grateful because it's been really hard.
“It’s so good of them to set it up I can’t thank them enough. I’m very happy about it.”
Becky Williams, who used to work with him at Eaton Lodge Care Home in Westgate-on-Sea, has already raised more than £700.
She said: “I don’t like the thought of anyone on the streets.
“I just wanted to do something to help Gary.
“I worked with him for a number of years and he such a nice man.
“When I had to take time off work because my sister had terminal cancer he was one of the first to put his hand in his pocket to help me when they had a whip around.
“I’d just like to do something back for him.”
Mr Evans previously shared how easily someone can become homeless.
“I'm still shocked at how quickly things fell apart for me and I ended up homeless.
“It's true what they say about everyone only being two pay cheques away from poverty.
"You think it will never happen to you but it can so easily happen to any one of us.
"I've always worked hard and paid my taxes and national insurance. I thought I'd always be safe and secure.
"Suddenly I had no place to live, no money and no help.”
Now, the Ramsgate resident is feeling more positive, adding: “I feel much better about having told my story.
“People who have criticised me don’t know the end of all of it because I have had a lot of things happen to me.”
Gary stopped working full-time as a cook at Eaton Lodge after he struggled to recover fully from long covid - which he had for a year from November 2021.
He had pneumonia in both lungs and was in hospital for a week so couldn't go back to working 200-hour months.
He took his part-time position in the ticket office and shop at an amusement park, where he still works between 8 and 25 hours a month.
“Things happen in life, we never know what’s around the corner,” he continued.
“It’s not as simple as it seems.
“Many people have helped me and I’m feeling positive.”
