Stephen Jones’ interview saying why he sprang into action to help injured children was widely shared, and his kind actions mean he’ ll no longer be homeless.
Many people in Manchester helped the victims of the terrorist attack in various ways, but one of the most widely-shared individual stories was that of a homeless man, Stephen Jones.
Thanks to his kindness and widespread attention, he’s not homeless anymore.
Jones, 35, is a homeless man who was sleeping outside near the Manchester Arena when the bomb went off Monday night. The explosion killed 22 people and injured 59, many of them minors who were attending the Ariana Grande concert that night.
“If I didn’ t help, I wouldn’ t be able to live with myself for walking away and leaving kids like that, ” Jones said in an interview with ITV News . “Just because I’ m homeless it doesn’ t mean that I haven’ t got a heart and I’ m not human still.”
The co-chairman of the soccer team West Ham United, David Sullivan, decided along with his son, Dave Sullivan Jr., that they were going to find Jones and offer to give him an apartment for six months so he can get on his feet.
Less than three hours after tweeting that they were looking for Jones, the two said they were already in contact with him.
In addition to paying his rent, they’ re working with a local charity to buy him new clothes and help him find opportunities for work, according to a statement made to West Ham United.
“Steve was just one of hundreds of people who forgot about their own safety and rushed to the aid of others, and we were both moved by his story, ” the senior David Sullivan said.
Jones detailed to ITV News that he had pulled nails and glass out of the faces and arms of children that night, and the sights kept him from sleeping even after emergency services had taken all the victims.
“It was a lot of children with blood all over them – crying and screaming. We were having to pull nails out of their arms and a couple out of this little girl’s face, ” Jones described. “Some lady, she got cut from her side, so my mate had to hold her legs up… we just held her legs up because we thought she was just going to bleed right out.”
Some asked the Sullivans why Jones was only getting help, and not the “mate” he mentioned, Chris Parker. The junior Sullivan said on Twitter that the man “hadn’ t been forgotten, ” suggesting the two might be helping out the other man as well.
“Steve deserves this chance to improve his own life after his selfless and heroic acts undoubtedly improved the lives of so many others, ” the senior Sullivan said.
A Just Giving page has also been set up for Jones and has raised more than 23,000 pounds, or more than $30,000. Now that Jones is getting an apartment short-term, the page said the donated money will go towards getting Jones a permanent place to live.
