Woman raises $23k for helpful homeless man

A YOUNG woman who became stranded and turned to a homeless man for help says his response “completely changed (her) perception” on those living rough.

‘Homeless man changed my life’

A YOUNG woman who became stranded after a night out has raised more than $23,000 for a homeless man who went out of his way to keep her safe.

Nicole Sedgebeer, 21, missed the last train from Euston to Milton Keynes after partying with friends on Thursday night.

She said her phone battery died before she became stranded “with no way of getting home” around 3am.

“I was feeling very vulnerable and close to tears when a homeless man named Mark stepped in and helped me find somewhere safe and warm to shelter,” Ms Sedgebeer said.

“I was a bit emotional and panicked, so I approached Mark and asked him what should I do?

“Not only did he direct me to an all-night cafe and get me settled with a cup of coffee, he even came back at 5am to walk me safely back to the train station.”

Ms Sedgebeer caught the first train home about 5.25am.

She later took to Facebook to share her story and praise Mark for his kindness.

“We had a motivational speaker come into work recently, and he mentioned about moments in life you will never forget, and this is one of them for me,” she wrote.

“We are so caught up in our normal day-to-day life; we walk past and do not think about their stories. Now I think completely differently — it has completely changed my perception.”

Ms Sedgebeer’s Facebook post went viral and the pair has since spoken over the phone and appeared on UK television.

“We had breakfast and he told me about his life. He used to work with the army and has been homeless for 12 years,” she said.

Ms Sedgebeer saw on opportunity to ‘pay it forward’ and set up a Crowdfunding page to “help (Mark) find a job and get back on his feet”.

“Mark embodies the best of humanity,” she said.

“He went out of his way to help me, a complete stranger, when the reality of his situation is that people walk past him every day without offering him help.

“Mark you are one special man. I will never look down on a homeless person again and so want to do something to help Mark and all the other homeless people around Euston.”

Ms Sedgebeer said she was currently seeking advice from various charities and others who have set up similar Crowdfunding pages to decide how the money can best be used to help Mark.

More information here: https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/helpthehomeless.