Homeless man joins Twitter and lands job interview a week later
A HOMELESS man who was gifted an old phone just last week says he now has a room, a job interview and thousands of supporters — after tweeting about his experiences.
Charlie ‘Bin Bags’ Hennessy claims he was handed a lifeline when a mystery Good Samaritan gave him an old mobile last week and he started tweeting about life on the street.
Charlie has since amassed an army of wellwishers who keep up with his battle to get off the streets for good.
According to The Sun, Charlie had been moving around doorways and parks in London for six years looking for work to help him get a roof over his head.
But after battling the bitter cold which hit Europe this winter, Charlie was finally handed a lifeline when a mystery good Samaritan gave him an old mobile phone.
Perched outside a coffee shop, Charlie signed on to the free Wi-Fi, and was able to keep the phone charged after finding an electrical outlet outside a shopping arcade. He joined Twitter and posted his first tweet on March 7.
But in a sign of his plight, he added: “It’s cold today, wish I had somewhere warm to go tonight. Being #homeless sucks.”
Charlie then used his new found voice to promote causes he cares about — such as International Womens’ Day and mental health awareness with touching retweets.
And he also hoped to reach out and help other homeless people by promoting pop-up shelters and soup kitchens.
Just 24 hours after joining Twitter Charlie started receiving heartening messages of support.
He began garnering hundreds, and soon thousands, of followers as people offered food and cash to help him out.
On March 8 he wrote: “I’m getting all sorts of lovely (and a few weird) DMs offering to help me. Thank you one and all, but I’m fine. I’m warm and safe where I am. Love too all x”.
One woman sent money to his Paypal account and the following day he received a job offer.
After revealing he had the job interview he was inundated with messages.
“Job offers, money offers, places to stay. Want to stand on my own feet. Gonna concentrate on tomorrow, one day at a time.
“But there are LOADS of people more in need than me right now, on most London Streets. Love to all x”.
Charlie wrote: “Raining, but it hides my tears. They’re GOOD tears though, so moved by messages people sending me.
“Want you all to know I’m all right, my mate Gareth is sorting a bedsit for me, and thanks to Twitter, I can afford a deposit already. Life changing.”
Touching messages from his new friends included one which read: “Good luck and I hope you get back on your feet very soon. Stay safe and positive, good people are rooting for you.”
Charlie currently has around 9,000 followers on Twitter and describes himself as homeless but trying not to be, looking for work, and reveals he has been clean and sober for six years.
Charlie continues to tweet and change some of the misconceptions around homeless people.
“I’m #homeless. Not evil”, he wrote in a pinned Tweet. “I’m not stupid or on drugs or violent or dishonest or crazy or greedy or diseased or drunk or likely to kill you. If you met me in better circumstances you’d like me, I’m a nice guy. I just don’t currently have a home. That’s all it is.”
