Hi Pete,

I live in Melbourne Australia, and have just seen a story about you and Troy on the news. I am so moved by what you have done, and felt that I had to write to say thank you. For a while now I have been saying to my friends and work mates that the most important thing we can do as people is SEE others, be KIND to others and be GRATEFUL for our own fortune and success. This is not just about money, but assisting people to have dignity and respect. The election of your new president, and seeing your story on the news tonight has renewed my belief that we are all inherently good at heart. I am 36, white, female, single and very lucky to have good health, great friends, a successful career and a nice place to live. I wear nice clothes, go out for dinner and drive a car. However, I am acutely aware that we are all only one stroke of bad luck away from the very opposite of all this fortune. That is why people like you are the true heroes of our modern society.

I believe that the best measure of success is how much you can give to others. By this measure, you are a millionaire. It is not just that you selflessly are helping someone who has ‘fallen through the cracks’, but that by it being publicised around the world, you have highlighted that we are all the same; homeful or homeless, old and young, men and women, and that we all just want to be seen and respected.

I am having a Christmas party at a bar in a few weeks, and have asked that everyone bring a can of food and donate some money to assist our local Crisis Centre (supporting homeless and desperate people). While my aim was primarily to raise money and give food, it is also equally as important to get people thinking about those who cannot get by. To see them as people like us, who have just had some things go wrong. If it is OK, I would like to use your story an an example of how we can pull together.

Thank you again, and pls pass on my best wishes and most sincere support to Troy.

Fiona O’Leary