Donations pouring in to help Carytown man and his dog get back on their feet
If you’ve ever sat at the light at Ellwood and Thompson, chances are you’ve spotted John and his dog Amanda.
It’s a story that will warm even the coldest of hearts this Valentine’s Day weekend. A group of Richmonders is rallying to help a homeless man who spends his days in Carytown get back on his feet after succumbing to a series of challenges.
If you’ve ever sat at the traffic light on the corner of Ellwood and Thompson in Carytown, chances are you might have spotted John McNealy alongside his faithful canine companion Amanda, who accompanies him in the stroller that carries his belongings.
According to CBS6’s Mark Holmberg, whom profiled the man yesterday evening, McNealy fell on hard times after a hit-and-run accident left him with a brain injury and a mountain of debt from the resulting hospital stay. The driver was never found.
Unable to work, McNealy lost his job as a dishwasher at popular Fan bar Sticky Rice, and not long after, his apartment as well.
Two local women who stopped and got to know McNealy have since started a GoFundMe campaign to help him get back on his feet and get he and Amanda find permanent housing.
The funds raised ($3,500 at press time) will help to cover rent and other expenses, and one of the organizers hopes to help McNealy get set up with a job at a local factory.
Read more about John and Amanda from CBS6 here, and you can make a donation to the fund here.
Photo: Amanda Sanchez
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Trevor Dickerson
Trevor Dickerson loves all things Richmond and manages RVANews’ West of the Boulevard and West End community sites.
Notice: Comments that are not conducive to an interesting and thoughtful conversation may be removed at the editor’s discretion.
If this information gets to this man, he may benefit from linking with Dept of Rehabilitative Services or Goodwill. Traumatic brain injury is no joke and heat need more support to find a good job. Please pass along those resources and my well wishes!
I was a contributor to this crown funding back in February. Yesterday I saw this gentleman with dog on Thompson panhandling. What happened? What happened to the money? The link in the original story no longer works? Was this a scam??
I saw this gentleman again this past weekend panhandling on Thompson. Can the author of the original story please provide us an update as to what happened to all the money raised and why he is still on the street?? Thanks!
In the news story it said that John was not being given the money directly. Lauren Dougherty and Amanda Sanchez were the ones who were trying to help him and were working with social services. It’s also possible that the money has simply run out since February. Or maybe you can try reaching out to Mark Holmberg from Channel 6 and see if he knows anything?
According to the emails I received during the gofundme campaign they raised well over enough funds for 1 years worth of housing for both him and the dog. Yet they are still on the street panhandling. I tried tracking down an email for Mark Holmberg through the WTVR website and was not able to find one. He is not listed on their contact page. His twitter feed has been dead for over a year. It appears that this is more good intentions that have turned into a possible failure. Still want to know what happened to all the $$$ raised through concerned citizens.
this was posted on the facebook page several months ago in response to questions. i think it pretty much explains what you are asking.
Hey everyone. The organization HomeAgain released a statement about John. You can find out more by visiting their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/HomeAgainRichmond?ref=ts&fref=ts
If anyone wants to donate anything to help him & Amanda out (food, household goods, toiletries, clothes, services, work, etc) please contact HomeAgain Richmond and they will fill you in on where to drop off any goods. John has asked not to have the media involved in his housing progress, and his wishes shall be respected. I know some of you have mentioned that you still see him panhandling… What he does to make money, spend his time during this transition is up to him. Just know that he has been housed and will have a place to live and his living expenses (rent, water, trash, electric) will be taken care of for a full year thanks to the GoFundMe. Everything else he needs (food,household goods, pet food, etc) is on him. So if anyone would like to help him with that, again, talk to HomeAgain. https://www.facebook.com/HomeAgainRichmond?ref=ts&fref=ts
Thank you everyone who have supported this act of kindness
@Andrea – thanks for the update!
thank you as well Andrea!