A man experiencing homelessness had a golden reaction to receiving an envelope of money raised for him to start a new life. 

YouTube and TikTok star Phillip Vu handed Mike, a man from New, Haven, Connecticut, a red envelope during the Chinese New Year containing over $1,000 which was the most he could withdraw on short notice despite fundraising over $17,000.

The act of kindness came after Vu created a series of videos featuring Mike who he met in January after the 46-year-old offered to clean Vu’s car windows. Initially, Vu declined Mike’s offer, but then invited him into his car for food and a heartwarming conversation.  

“It was freezing outside so I grabbed us some food and invited him into my car for dinner,” Vu wrote in a TikTok video. 

Mike shared that he tries to make a living “honestly” by pumping gas for people or cleaning their windows. 

The two began opening up to each other, and Mike’s story resonated with viewers who subsequently asked how they could help aid Mike’s journey. Days later, supporters fundraised over $15,000 via GoFundMe and Venmo which has now increased to $17,000.  

Vu has also helped Mike receive winter clothes through his friend who works at Capelli Sport. 

When discussing Mike’s genuine reaction to his good deed, Vu expressed that it was an experience of a lifetime. 

“That was probably one of the greatest experiences of my life,” Vu said, according to Times Now News. “When I set off on this journey eight months ago when I left home to live out my car and make videos, years in the future my dream was to give a person who deserves it a lump sum of money and change their life,”

Vu, a Newport Beach, California native, quit his job at a bank and is currently on a road trip living out of his car with his guitar. 

In one of Vu’s videos, which have garnered over five million views, Mike revealed that both of his parents are deceased and that he had been in jail for 22 years of his life. Vu also confided in Mike that his father had passed away when he was young and was lost in the aftermath of his death.  

“We have both experienced loss and we just bonded on that,” Phillip said, according to the DailyMail. “I was talking about family, where we’re from and how we both ended up in that situation.”

When the 24-year-old asked what Mike had gone to prison for, he didn’t fully disclose but instead affirmed that he had a newfound perspective after being out of jail for the last six years, the longest amount of time he’s ever known outside of incarceration. 

“Let me put it like this. My bad turned to good now,” Mike responded. “My bad [sic] was smuggling with people that you didn’t want to walk by and I was sitting there hungry. I see things a lot different.” 

“If you ain’t in the ground, or in jail or somewhere where you don’t wanna really be at, as long as you’re breathing you’re happy, remember that,” Mike added. 

Vu said that homelessness, which is pervasive in the United States, can be mitigated, asserting that Mike’s life was changed in a matter of weeks. 

“We can fix homeless in the U.S. because a life was changed with just $17,000 – we can make a difference in these people’s lives,” Vu said.

In one of the vlogger’s videos, Mike said, “I asked God for one thing— life, and He poured you into me,” he said.  

Vu also shared that he was surprised by the overwhelming support for Mike, saying that he didn’t expect this much traction. 

“I never thought any of these videos would get that much traction. I didn’t think it would be more than me helping him out, having a conversation, getting to know him,” Vu said. “He is such a lovely, hard-working human being and I want to humanize him.”

Mike is working on getting a government-issued ID and has plans to start a new job.