Fred, a homeless United States Marine, has been living in the old Oppenheim Zoo in Niagara Falls for 30 years. He’s had several fires while trying to keep warm over the years, but the most recent one was very bad and burnt his extremities. Now those in the Wheatfield community who have become fond of Fred are doing what they can to help.
“He’s a sweet humble man who never asks anyone for anything. People are drawn to him and want to help him,” said Heather Maglio, who started a GoFundMe page called “A Helping Hand for Fred.”
Heather and her husband, Peter, know Fred quite well as they often see him around the Wheatfield neighborhood, but when they hadn’t in a while they got worried. Fred is at ECMC recovering and waiting placement at the VA. The couple recently visited him and Fred said he would like a Walkman. Of course they got him one, but they also wanted to do more.
With the help of the Wheatfield community, more than $8,600 has been raised for Fred which will go towards finding him a nice place to live. If you would like to make a donation, visit https://www.gofundme.com/Fred14120.
