CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - Sometimes finding out whether someone is homeless isn’t easy to track. That’s the case for Special Olympics athlete Jeramey Woolsey.
Aside for his love for the Special Olympics, he likes to collect police patches for all over the world. Due to this, he has gotten to know many police departments and has created a strong relationship with the Champaign Police Department.
“I have at least over 3,000 patches,” said Woolsey.
Woolsey said he goes and visits them after eating at Bread & Soup and Kitchen. So when retired deputy chief Troy Daniels found out about his situation, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
He created a GoFundMe page with the initial goal of collecting more than $2,500. Daniels says he was able to collect that in just four days. However, the need does not stop there. Woolsey and his mother still need furniture, a bed, an apartment and money toward a new car to help them get back on their feet.
“The community has rallied together. So far, we’ve raised $7,000,” said Daniels.
Woolsey is asking for two things: help finding a job so he can care for his mother who is handicapped and a patch from the Decatur Police Department to add to his collection.
