Source: Good News Network
For the last 21 years, Jeffrey Knight has made something of a name for himself in the city center of Bristol.
The Jamaican-born man is known for handing out copies of Big Issue, an independent magazine that is sold on the streets by homeless, marginalized and disadvantaged people.
Despite being homeless, however, he is one of the happiest people on the city’s streets, giving fist-bumps, compliments and hugs to passers-by.
Knight first moved to Bristol from Jamaica in 1998 after he lost a number of his closest friends during a period of prolonged violence in the country. Speaking last year, as he celebrated 20 years in the English city, he said: “I love it here. I love to be around people and I feel free like a bird in the trees when I’m doing it.
“Making other people happy makes me happy, that’s why I’ve been doing this for so long and why I couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” he added. “If someone hasn’t seen me for a few days they’ll say ‘Jeff, we were worried about you, where have you been!?’ and it makes me feel special knowing they’re looking out for me.”
In fact, the street seller is so beloved by the locals, over 500 people recently chipped in to help buy Knight his own van.
Local resident Deasy Bamford launched a crowdfunding page for the van after she was cycling home one night and saw Knight sleeping on the sidewalk.
“I guess I’d never thought about his living situation before and I thought there’s no way that he should be sleeping on the streets,” said Bamford. “So I set up…
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