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Fund for Chuck Daly is now over $30,000
The GoFundMe page for Chuck Daly — the homeless man who died on Murray Street last Monday — has raised more than $30k, double its original goal. It’s remarkable really — and it makes me so sad too. He panhandled for change for what I think was three years, sleeping on the street, and yet just a few miles away, there were dozens of people who were clearly connected to him and couldn’t reach him. (I am still waiting on the report from the Medical Examiner.)
It makes me wonder what we should be doing for other people on the street, whether we know them or not, when we have such deep financial resources. People panhandle here because neighbors have the money to help, but is there a better way? I don’t have any idea on an answer, I am just amazed by this outpouring of effort and money. Maybe Daly was exceptional, and this is just a fluke. But I can’t help but think about how this fund could have been used while he was still alive.
Most of the 317 donations (as of Sunday morning) were $100 or less — only about 40 were over $100 with a few were as much as $1000. The fund hit its original goal of $15k in 24 hours. The organizer — Kevin Bannon, part of what is clearly a big crew of friends in Jersey City — said the money will be used to cover funeral expenses and a memorial party, and whatever is left over will go to a charity in Daly’s name.
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Again, please do not refer to Chuck as “homeless man”. There is better ways to word your writing. Chuck fell on his luck, he didn’t have stable housing in New York City as it is one of the most unaffordable places to live which is a likely reason that lead him to live on the streets. Many people are mourning his loss. Chuck Daly is a man is missed and loved by many.
Please in the future use better words because the loss of anyone is hard and to those who loved and known Chuck he wasn’t “homeless man”.
A home is more than just four walls? Chuck wasn’t homeless?
Oh my. How about thank you for following through and keeping us updated on our neighborhood. Clearly Chuck struggled in a way most of us, thankfully, will not know. But he was a man who did not have a home. He was vulnerable to weather, to people and to our legal system.
Save the editor and readers your lecture. Good god….it isn’t about you.
This is about the family and friends mourning the loss of Chuck Daly. Someone shouldn’t be defined or remembered by their hard times.
Sadly, journalist and comments from “TR” who put their two cents in and forget that losing someone is not an easy thing to deal with and try to get people rallied and upset or more click bait.
Rest In Peace Chuck. You are deeply loved and missed by many.
… uh living on cardboard between a Chipotle / Juice Press and panhandling outside a Target for a living is pretty much the definition of homeless
When you first published your story, I understood why you used the word you used to describe a man you did not know. You were able to put a face and name and even started to get a back story about him. Now you have the privilege to continue to write about him, and it is a privilege because his friends have allowed strangers to see and read intimate details not only of a man they love, but of themselves. You, yourself are saying you are amazed by this, so you see that this is an extraordinary person, so why would you continue to use a word that doesn’t describe who he was? He was a man, he was a brother, he was a son and he was a friend to many people. Leave the description you feel grabs attention out of it. I don’t know this man, but I wouldn’t describe him as a man without a home. A home isn’t just 4 walls and a roof. So respect him and his loved ones.
In 2020 NYC budgeted and spent $3.2 billion on homeless services – most going to shelter services. That seems like quite a bit of money. Maybe we need to look at how the money is spent. Maybe there is a better way then what we are currently doing (and not doing).
For instance, the 2,500 empty apartments that are meant for those who find themselves without homes, that are sitting empty. We need to do better.
He was my dear friend and I miss him a lot. We had long talks each time I went to Target on my scooter – always cheerful, deep thinker, avid reader. He knew so many people who cared for him and I’m one of them.
I still miss Chuck. We were both homeless in manhattan at the time of his death but we had grown apart a bit just because of the struggles we both had to deal with on our own. I miss him alot. We would sit and talk about music that most people didn’t even know about for hours and listen to songs on the phone in the summertime. I remember riding the train with him and having always amazing comvos.. taken way too soon. And def had the kindest heart of anyone I have ever met.