A Touching Story: Homeless Teacher Gets Help From Former Student

• When a former student learned that the guy sleeping in his car in a parking lot was his former teacher, he immediately talked to him.
• He also set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for him and called on his former classmates to help.
• The GoFundMe was able to raise $27,000 to help Mr. Villaruel to get back on his feet during this pandemic.

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Substitute High School Teacher Jose Villaruel has fallen on pandemic hard times.  Virtual sessions have made him stop teaching and left him homeless.  His only source of income is a monthly Social Security check.  Majority of the money he sends to his very sick wife in Mexico.

He has been sleeping in his car in a parking lot.

Whenever there was rough weather, Villaruel would say, “I must not give up, and I have to go on, and on, and do what I have to do for this stage to pass.”

Little did he know that his life is about to change when his former student has observed him and recognized him.

Steven Nava said, “I noticed that he had all of his belongings in his car, and that’s when I realized he was homeless.”  He also found out after a few weeks that it was his substitute teacher in high school, “Mr. V.” or Mr. Villaruel.

Once he realized this, he approached Mr. V., found him a hotel and gave him $300.

Nava added, “I had a mission to help the teacher who was going through a difficult time during the pandemic.”

And the giving does not end there.  Nava also rallied his other schoolmates and raised funds through GoFundMe. He wrote on the page, “Mr. V was a great, funny and helpful educator and substitute teacher in the Fontana Unified School District.” The aim of the fund raiser was to help Mr. V on his feet financially through the pandemic.

To which his former classmates warmly responded to and exchanged fond memories of the teacher. They also hailed Nava for looking out for those who need help in these trying times.

The GoFundMe’s original goal was $15,000.  But so far, $27,000 has already been raised!

Nava said he wants Mr. V to feel that he is cared and loved by the students who he has helped along the way.

When Villaruel was presented with the check, he asked if he was dreaming.  He said, “It is an experience of my life that will be kept for the rest of my life. I carry it in my heart. I felt that something was going to happen, that things were going to change, and it happened suddenly when I least expected it.”

Source: TODAY