BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — This is an update to a story we first brought you in early January. The GoFundMe fundraiser has ended for an artist struggling with homelessness in Big Rapids.
We previously shared the story of Shannon Galley and his dog, Duke, who are currently living in a tent in the Big Rapids area.
Elle Willette noticed the two outside a gas station one cold winter morning and decided to help. She also noticed his painting materials and later found out that Galley is talented artist who learned to paint from watching Bob Ross videos.
The GoFundMe set up by Willette ended last week with a total of $2,705.
During our interview, Galley created a painting, which Willette later auctioned off on eBay. That painting recently sold for $168.50 to a family in South Haven.
Galley said that he has been living unhoused since about the age of 17 and has been traveling the country by hitchhiking. He said he struggled in school because of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia.
He’s now 57 years old with health issues that keep him from working like seizures, arthritis and carpal tunnel.
The goal was to help Galley and his dog get an insulated tent for these cold winter months. Certainly, the earnings from the GoFundMe and painting should help.
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