JULY 2020
     

'Pensioner doing it tough to survive'

Good Samaritan and war veteran Drew left homeless after caravan theft

By Dennis Amor
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KIND-HEARTED Vietnam war veteran Drew Williams was left homeless after his caravan was stolen and trashed in NSW.

Drew lived in the Franklin Arrow with his dog Lucy at Wilkes Park in North Wagga Wagga but was forced to temporarily stay with friends after becoming unwell during the COVID-19 crisis.

During one of his visits to check the caravan he saw a homeless man in a leaky tent and took pity on him, offering him the use of his 'van.

But compassionate Drew was staggered when he received a call notifying him that the caravan had disappeared.

Police found it 130km away at Albury-Wodonga, badly damaged and stripped of everything of value.

Sarah Santoro and friends have now launched a GoFundMe page in a bid to replace his home on wheels.

She said Drew was a pensioner "doing it tough to survive".

"He is a kind-hearted man with great compassion towards his fellow people, but his generosity was taken advantage of this time leaving him homeless," she said.

"The irony of Drew's situation is that he and Lucy are now homeless because he helped someone homeless."

Drew acquired the 1976 caravan from a caravan park where it was being thrown out and worked on it for months.

"It took a lot of hard work and money but he was happy with the little home he created for himself," Sarah said.

"Drew is feeling deflated because his efforts have now amounted to nothing. He and Lucy are now in urgent need of help.

"We are asking for everyone to please dig deep and help to purchase another caravan that Drew and Lucy can call home again.

"He served the people of this country during wartime and made sacrifices for all Australians.

"Will his country now help him in his time of need? He deserves our respect, love and generosity. He would do the same for you if he could."

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