More than $73,000 in donations have poured in from people around the country for a Boston homeless man who turned over to police a backpack stuffed with thousands in cash traveler’s checks that he had found outside a shopping mall.
Glen James alerted cops on Saturday when he found the backpack stuffed with $2,400 in cash and $40,000 in traveler’s checks at Boston’s South Bay Mall.
After he was honored by Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis on Monday, his story of honesty inspired Ethan Whittington, a marketing firm employee in Virginia, to set up an on-line charity to help James “change his life.”
By midday Wednesday, the gofundme.com fund had brought in $73,230 from nearly 3,000 donors. Many of the donors gave just $5 and left messages praising James.
“Such a beautiful person. Reduced me to tears,” wrote one donor. “We have a lot to learn from you,” said another donor.
James told local media he is in his mid-50s and cannot work because of an inner-ear condition that affects his balance. He has been living at a Boston-area homeless shelter and panhandles during the day.
Whittington, 27, said that he began talking with James on Tuesday on how the donated money would be used.
“I just found James’ story to be inspiring,” he said. “We’re so inundated with negative news all the time. James gives hope to people and lets them know not all things in the world are bad.”
The backpack James found was quickly returned to its owner, a Chinese student who was visiting Boston. Private papers, including a Chinese passport were also inside the backpack..
James said Monday that he would never have kept the contents. “Even if I were desperate for money, I would not have kept even a penny,” he said.