Inspirational stories: Homeless teen bikes 6 hours, sleeps in tent for college - TomoNews

BARNESVILLE, GEORGIA — The tale of a homeless and hungry teenager who slept under the stars so he could sign up for college is inspiring the residents of a small city in Georgia. Fred Barley, 19, was found sleeping rough by cops over the weekend at the Gordon College campus in Barnesville. But instead of issuing the biology major a ticket, they listened to his amazing story, WSBTV reported. The plucky teenager said he borrowed his little brother’s bicycle and rode for six hours so he could register for class. He carried all his worldly possessions with him as he rode more than 50 miles in Georgia’s scorching summer heat. Campus dorms don’t open until next month, so when Fred got to the school he pitched a tent. The determined youngster was prepared to camp for the next two weeks with nothing more to eat than a box of cereal. Fred spent Saturday job-hunting and had just got back to his tent when he was found by the police. Fred told the cops he thought the bushes would be safer than camping in his hometown of Conyers. The cops took Fred to a motel and paid for him to stay for a couple of nights out of their own pockets. One officer’s wife posted Fred’s story to Facebook, and the community rallied round. Good Samaritans stepped forward to help Fred pay for his motel stay and a local pizzeria hired him as a dishwasher. Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page for the teenager raised more than $27,000 in just two days. Fred released a video message on Facebook yesterday to say thanks, and hoped his supporters would be able to see him graduate.