'It touches everyone's heart:' NC hometown embraces homeless man who gave last $20 to stranger

Johnny Bobbitt Jr. spent his last $20 to help a young woman stranded on the side of the road in Pennsylvania when her car ran out of gas.

That woman then set up a GoFundMe account to help the man who came to her rescue, raising more than $380,000.

Henderson is a small town, where big news travels fast.

“In this town, you still can walk down the sidewalk and see a stranger and say ‘hi’ to them and they are going to say ‘hi’ back,” said resident Keith Nunnery.

When national news outlets began telling the story of a local man, who was now far away and homeless, the town began talking.

“I think it’s an amazing story. It’s a good story from the beginning to the end with bad parts in its middle,” said resident Lorraiane Watkins.

Bobbitt graduated from Northern Vance High School in 2001. Today, people’s eyes drop when they sheepishly admit he isn’t perfect, but they say he tried, working at various rescue squads and fire departments as well as for the town for six months in 2011.

“Everybody wants to see people do well. Everybody wants to see people help each other,” Watkins said. “Sometimes the bad choices do not change the inner person, it doesn’t touch the heart.”

Watkins believes it’s the small town roots in Bobbitt’s heart that allowed him to give his last $20 to a stranger.

“People who don’t have any money still help other people out. This town is very poor in its own way and to see this gentleman, Johnny Bobbitt, come out of the woodwork and spend his last dollar to help someone out says something about the community,” Nunnery said. “It’s so impressive, it touches everyone’s heart.”

Bobbitt’s family still lives in Henderson, but have asked for privacy since the story of their son went viral.