Campaign collects €30,000 for homeless Amsterdammer who returned lost wallet with €2,000
A crowdfunding campaign for a homeless man in Amsterdam who turned in a cash-filled wallet he found has raised over 30,000 euros in less than a day.
Hadjer Al-Ali, 33, was making his usual round through Amsterdam Central Station, looking for empty cans and bottles to return for deposit money, when he noticed the wallet lying on a train bench, he told De Stentor. “It was a bit open. I saw a lot of money in it.” It turned out to be almost 2,000 euros.
The man took the wallet to the police station on Nieuwezids Voorburgwal and handed it in to a very proud police officer. “But yeah, I don’t know whose money this is. Maybe someone saved it for their child. Maybe it belongs to someone who really needs it,” Al-Ali said.
The police gave Al-Ali the “Silver Thumb,” an award that the Amsterdam police give to locals who did something exceptional. He also received a gift voucher for 50 euros.
A GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign for Al-Ali was launched at 2:00 p.m. on Monday. By noon on Tuesday, the counter stood at 30,926 euros.
Al-Ali has been homeless for a year and a half. He has two kids, aged 6 and 5, who live in Apeldoorn, according to the crowdfunding campaign. He thinks the government should offer more aid to homeless fathers. “There should be a fund for homeless fathers so that they can do something with their children,” he said.
