A homeless man has had his life transformed by a stranger's random act of kindness.
Tony Lavell was sleeping rough in a multi-storey car park in Halesowen near Birmingham after being kicked out by his landlord after a dispute.
But his life was transformed after a stranger launched a JustGiving appeal for him.
The fundraising began when Tony was offered a job but failed to provide a formal address.
He told Birmingham Live he did not know the woman who launched the appeal, but called her "a lovely lady with a beautiful heart".
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He said: "The people of Halesowen are being so nice, the support from the public has been amazing."
The appeal was set at a £1,500 target but with contributions from more than 100 people, it stood at more than £2,100 on Wednesday.
Tony is now spending the money on staying in a budget hotel while he is looking for a flat.
He also received help from businessman Phil Tromans who gave him a job at Metal and Waste Recycling Ltd in Rowley Regis.
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He said: "It's a really good job - they are a great bunch of lads and I'm really enjoying being at work.
"I had forklift truck training on Saturday - in the future I'd like to be trained up on the cranes."
Tony said he grew up in a care home where he was bullied and attacked by older boys.
After leaving care, he was placed in hostels packed with alcoholics and drug abusers.
He finally managed to secure a house share with the help of his £500-a month Universal Credit , but was kicked out by the landlord after a dispute.
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With little cash for a flat deposit, Tony took all his belongings and moved into the car park.
He said: "The first few months living off Universal Credit were difficult, there was a few weeks where I went without food because I struggled to budget getting paid every two weeks - I don't think it was enough to live off.
"But there was the food bank in Halesowen, if it wasn't for them I would've been starving. They've been amazing."
He is due to receive his first pay check at the end of the month.
