Thousands of homeless people live on the streets of every American major city. Without our help and encouragement, the homeless may never have the chance to get better off.
Elvis Summers discovered this when he saw Irene “Smokie” McGee dozing off in front of his house. As the popularity of tiny homes increased, Summers made the decision to put his construction skills to use.
After knocking on McGee’s door in Los Angeles in search of recyclables to trade for cash, Summers met him there. He knew he had to help the woman when he noticed she was sleeping on the ground without a box or tarp.
McGee made the decision to build a small, transportable house. As soon as possible, he made a $500 purchase at a hardware store. The small house with a locked door so McGee could protect her belongings was finished after several days of arduous work.
Summers documented his development as the house was being constructed.
He later posted this video to YouTube in an effort to inspire people to help the homeless in their communities. He completed all of that and more.
Summers used the exposure from the video’s over 7.2 million views to launch the fundraising campaign for Tiny House, Huge Purpose. Continue reading to find out more about Summers and McGee and how he is assisting more locals.
When they first met, Summers was completely unaware of how dire McGee’s situation was. “I knew she was homeless, but I didn’t realize she didn’t even have a tarp or a cardboard box to sleep in until about three weeks ago,” he admitted to The Independent.
Even though Summers was having financial difficulties, he was aware that he had to help McGee. He said that.
“I can hardly keep my lights on, but I saw a 60-year-old woman sleeping practically in the dirt next to a house — a house where everyone is content and warm, enjoying their hot showers and toilets to use, the food in their fridge, clean water to drink, electricity, TV, and other amenities”.
Summers recalled, “I went right away to the hardware store and made the decision to buy the supplies to build her a tiny house so she could at least rest in a warm, secure place rather than the mud. It was more important than a few bills that I know I can pay later and catch up on”.
A nearby church has offered their parking lot as a place for the Tiny Homes to stay the night after learning what Summers did for McGee. “The church is willing to help with showers, food, and clothing to help all of the people in the tiny homes we put there climb back up,” said Summers”.
Summers’ goal has changed as a result of the video’s success. In order to assist as many people as possible, he said, “I’ve expanded my plan to assist a few more people.
I received such a positive response from all over the world after my video went viral”.
To help them be motivated by what this man did, please spread the word to your friends and family.
