Jawee Faheem grabbed his belongings from Lower Wacker Drive on Wednesday.
“I don’t have much,” he said. “I have nothing really to be honest. This is all I need to take with me right now.”
He’s getting out of the extreme cold and staying somewhere warm overnight.
“You can sometimes wish for something and hope that something good would happen and I still believe in miracles,” Faheem said.
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The 62-year-old has been braving the elements for the past two months. But thanks to the generosity of one special person, he now has a place to stay for the rest of the week.
“I was shocked and it takes a lot to shock me because I’ve seen a lot,” Faheem said. “But I didn’t anticipate waking up and hearing that someone had punched my ticket.”
NBC 5 first shared his story on Tuesday. Faheem talked about his struggles, and his fears of not making it through the frigid night. Shortly after his story aired, an NBC 5 viewer reached out saying she was touched by his story and felt compelled to help.
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“I was pretty surprised that it happened so quickly and that she was so willing to help out,” said Ryann Billiterri. “Very giving, really just want him to be okay and really was concerned about him.”
Outreach workers with Thresholds got in touch with the woman who paid for Faheem's hotel stay until he’s able to move into permanent housing. The viewer wanted to remain anonymous, saying she couldn’t help but think 'what if that was me.'
“I want to say thank you, appreciation and gratitude that there’s still someone that cares to care,” Faheem said.
Faheem doesn’t know if he’ll get a chance to meet his angel, but knows she’s watching.
“I hope I made you feel that it was not a waste, that it was really something that was warranted something that someone prayed for and you made it happen,” he said.
