Strangers come to the rescue of homeless Nanaimo woman

CHEK

WATCH: A homeless Nanaimo woman is overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers after CHEK News shared the story of her bike’s theft, her only possession, Monday. Her loss has now sparked an outpouring of generosity to replace it. Skye Ryan has more.

When Katie Ogden’s tears fell Monday after realizing her bike was stolen, it hit a nerve with CHEK News viewers.

“I saw the tears running down her face,” said Ladysmith resident Elvira Loewen. “It was the one thing that she had that was stolen and we have so much.”

Within minutes of the story airing, viewers reached out wanting to help buy her a new bike. Elvira Loewen and her husband travelled from Ladysmith to meet Ogden.

“We can’t give you a home,” said Loewen. “If we could we would but we want to give you what we can okay and that’s a new bike. What I’d like to do before we go bike shopping. I’d like to take you for lunch.”

The gesture brought Ogden to tears.

“It’s hard to accept things when every time you turn around the door has always been shut on you,” Ogden said.

The 46-year-old homeless woman said she never expected this and that was before she met Dianne Martin.

“We heard your story on the television last night about losing your bike,” said Martin, a Nanaimo resident. “And I felt really bad and what we have here are bikes, we have two of them you can have your choice we’d like to give you a bike if that would help you,” said Martin to a crying Ogden.

“Wow holy cow, wow,” said Ogden.

“We just wanted to do something to help okay?” said Martin.

“I’m still in shock because this is amazing,” said Ogden. “I didn’t think this was going to happen,” she said.

It has restored some of her faith in others that was stolen in a heartless crime.

Katie Ogden now has a new bike and chain to keep it safe, made even more precious to her now because she says she never expected to have something so nice again.

Skye RyanSkye Ryan

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