A homeless man who now has a roof over his head and a job thanks to the kindness of the Exmouth community has expressed his gratitude to those who have helped him.
Ian, who didn’t want to reveal his surname, found himself homeless and had been taking shelter on the doorstep of the town hall, in St Andrew’s Road for more than three weeks.
His plight drew the attention of more kind-hearted members of the Exmouth community who provided him with food and coffee.
One such resident is Ben Reid, who has offered his support to the homeless in Exmouth in the past
He spoke to local business S&B Construction which ‘straight away’ offered to donate money to get him a caravan.
Following a social media plea, Ben managed to source a caravan and Ian has been inundated with support and donations of food, bedding, lights and cooking equipment.
Ben said Ian has been ‘totally overwhelmed’ by the town’s generosity and ‘couldn’t be more thankful to the wonderful community.
A post on the Facebook community group Exmouth Friends in Need, generates more than 200 responses.
Ian has now been offered and accepted a job on a building site as a labourer, which he started on Saturday (November 21); Builders merchants Buildbase have donated him work boots and a hard hat to get him going.
Ben added that Ian is looking forward to getting his life back on track and is looking forward to his new job.
“Last year I helped the homeless twins by taking them hot water bottles, and food,” said Ben.
“After seeing and speaking with Ian I really wanted to help get him off the streets.
“I also feel overwhelmed with the offers for local people and businesses makes me feel proud of the community I live in.”
District councillor Paul Millar, who represents the town ward, said: “Since being alerted to Ian’s situation on Facebook, I have been blown away by the amount of care shown to Ian and I am delighted to hear that he is now safely being accommodated.
“The way the community has rallied around Ian is a testament to the truly decent people of Exmouth.”
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