Good Samaritan Teaches Homeless Man to Code, Who’s Now Launching His Own App

You know what they say: give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach him to fish, feed him for a lifetime. According to Business Insider Australia, programmer Patrick McConlogue wanted to test that theory.

McConlogue passed a homeless man by the name of Leo Grand each day on his way to work, and something told him Grand would “want to take the challenge.” So, he offered Grand a choice: McConlogue would give him $100 right then, or buy him a laptop, JavaScript books, and teach him how to code. Grand chose the latter and it seems like things may have finally turned around.

Grand became homeless in 2011 after he lost his job at insurance company MetLife and was unable to afford his apartment when a new high-rise apartment block was built nearby, increasing the price of his home.

After meeting Grand, McConlogue would sit with him every weekday morning for an hour, teaching him how to code. On his own, Grand would study the books McConlogue gave him and practice writing code for hours.

Now, Trees for Cars, Grand’s new app, is available for iOS and Android for AU$0.99.

The idea behind his app is to reduce CO2 emissions by reducing the number of cars on the street. Users have the choice of either choosing to carpool with someone or offering the ride. Then, the app calculates the amount of CO2 emissions saved by each passenger.

Not only is Grand helping himself, but he’s doing something for the greater good. Hopefully, this is just a stepping stone for all the wonderful things Grand will go on to do.