The Internet Raised $44,000 So a Homeless Man Could Have a House

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By Neha Prakash2014-05-08 22:57:36 UTC

A homeless man's Internet fame brought him a new friend and now, a place of his own.

In March, YouTube user Magic of Rahat, a prankster and do-gooder, approached a homeless man named Eric with a lottery ticket, which he told Eric was a winning ticket. Rahat had secretly set up a plan in which he gave a store clerk $1,000 to hold for Eric as the lottery "prize" for the ticket. When Rahat brought Eric to the store to collect his "winnings," it prompted an emotional response from the man who was down on his luck.

The video spread online, collecting an impressive 15.8 million views in just two months. And it seems the Internet didn't want Eric's good fortune to stop there; people continued to raise $44,000 through a crowdfunding effort. Rahat used the money to rent a house for Eric, purchase supplies and open a savings account for his new friend (watch above).

Eric's reaction to his new home remains a precious reminder that sometimes the Internet is not such a scary place.

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