Chicago (WLS) — After weeks of walking the streets and spending the night at O’Hare Airport, a Chicago homeless man found a new place to live.
ABC7 first shared Norbert Pikula’s story a few weeks ago. And now, thanks to support from the community, Wednesday became his 77th moving day.
“It took a long time, but my day has come,” he said.
Just a few weeks ago he was spending the night at O’Hare. I didn’t know when or when I would find stable housing.
“Nothing is going to happen anytime soon, so we’ll just have to wait and see,” Pikula said.
Now, thanks to the support of the community and the support of his supporter Sarah Boone, Pikula is moving into a new home.
“I’m amazed at how generous people are. They don’t just give money, they write notes. One woman sent him to a hotel for a few days,” said Boone, a Chicago Health volunteer coordinator. I put it in,” he said.
Before ABC7’s first article, Pikula’s GoFundMe had about $4,000 and dozens of contributors. After the show aired, more than 400 people stepped up to help, growing to nearly $20,000.
When asked what it means to no longer have to live in those conditions, Pikula said it gives him peace of mind.
Pikula finally got her own bed in Humboldt Park and said she doesn’t know the hundreds of people who donated to get there, but she feels a kinship with all of them.
“Everyone who donates to me is almost like family. Almost. It’s pretty close to that,” he said. “They helped me a lot. Without them, I would have been lost.”
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