A GoFundMe for a homeless former newspaper art critic has nearly reached $100,000 after a piece he wrote on his experience has gone viral.
Patrick Fealey chronicled the story of his life in Westerly, Rhode Island for Esquire in a 9,000-word article titled The Invisible Man published this month. In the piece, Fealey, 59, who recently became homeless, describes living in his 2013 Totoya Corolla and trying to get back on his feet while navigating a lack of social services available to people like him.
He made a living writing freelance art criticism and newspaper articles. By age 29, he was an award-winning art critic and journalist writing for Reuters and The Boston Globe. That’s when he was diagnosed with Bipolar I, rapid-cycling/mixed state, the most severe form of the illness.
Following his diagnosis, he told his editors he needed a break but never returned. He tried to work in other settings but hasn’t been able to maintain employment. He receives $960 a month for Social Security Disability Insurance.
He’s contemplated getting a job at a gas station but worried the hours would jeopardize his disability insurance.
“How many people are in this position, too poor for affordable housing—and too poor to be homeless?” Fealey writes.
His story offers a glimpse into the lives of the roughly 653,104 homeless people in the US.
In recent months, Fealey has experienced his share of setbacks in the East Coast beach town he calls home. Officers routinely wake him up at night with complaints about his car being parked in public spots; local officials struggle to help him obtain financial assistance for food and gas; residents appear to be afraid of him, even though he doesn’t have a criminal history.
He’s been forced to confront how the world sees homeless people. Only one stranger in six months offered to help him by offering her meatball sub and his dentist dismissed his tooth ailments until he told him he used to be a journalist. He watched the dentist type on the computer before he returned to prescribe him medication.
A local shelter where men sleep in a communal room offers no privacy compared to his car and the “despair” there is “contagious.”
“In the car, no one is gawking at my junk or wanting to fuck me up,” wrote Fealey. a family in Narragansett wanted to help.
Upon learning of his story, Marissa Mathews wanted to help. She sent the link to her mom, dad and sister. “I couldn’t keep it to myself,” she wrote on GoFundMe. “I had a pit in my stomach the entire time.”
Her family got together over the next few days, trying to figure out how they could reach Fealey. Her dad searched his neighborhood, looking for him at the shelter and police stations. It took a week for them to connect.
“As we have gotten to know him over these past several days, we understand his story is one of perseverance and determination,” Mathews wrote. “He told me that when he became homeless, he was determined to write his way out.”
She set up the GoFundMe to pay for car repairs, “desperately needed dental work”, one month’s rent and security deposit. She wanted to raise enough money for an apartment and living expenses for a year.
The fundraiser has since amassed $92,000 in donations since it was launched on November 19.
“Patrick has newfound hope and is overwhelmed by all your support,” Mathews wrote.
Now she says her family is trying to secure long-term housing for Fealey but the task is proving difficult. No shelters in the area are available for long-term stays and rental rates are expensive. Government-subsidized housing in the area takes years to secure.
Still, as of Thanksgiving Eve, Fealey and his dog have been staying at an inn for a few nights.
“We appreciate your help to keep Patrick and Lilly in a safe place,” wrote Mathews.
