A homeless American man has discovered a forgotten bank account.
John Helinksi, 62, has been homeless for three years, living in box next to a bus stop in downtown Tampa Florida.
He was being assisted by police and social services to find temporary shelter. The bank account was found when a housing official tried to trace a birth certificate back to Helinksi’s native country, Poland.
Helinksi had thought that his social security payments were cancelled, but they had actually been paid into his lost account the entire time he was homeless. This has provided Helinksi with the funds to be able to set up a permanent home.
Both his case worker and police were surprised at the find. Police Officer Dan McDonald said “he’s a very good, sweet and genuine man”.
