Homeless woman living in nearby woods surprised with bus ticket home

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - A homeless woman living in the woods found out she'll be going home just in time for the holidays, thanks to the kindness of strangers.

The story starts with a dog named Chubbs, who went missing Sunday.

As Chris and Trish Meek searched for Chubbs they met Tracy and she helped them look.

"I was crying," remembers Trish. "It was the first time I really thought, 'What if I don't see him again?' Tracy just said, 'Oh honey it is ok. It will be ok."

"I do unto others as I want done unto me, if my dog was out running around, I would hope someone would help me," Tracy explained.

While they did not find Chubbs that day, Tracy promised to keep an eye out. She explained to the family that she was homeless and living in the woods they were searching.

"I thought, she is concerned about me and a dog, and she is living here homeless," said Trish. "It's almost like God said, you may think your troubles are bad, but you can help someone else and that's just what we want to do."

Chubbs found his way home, and Trish and Chris decided to help Tracy find her way home too.

She had been living in the tent for weeks, after moving to the area from Ohio.

"I was led to believe the situation would be different here and it wasn't and it went horribly wrong," said Tracy. "I had to get away from the environment."

She was sitting in her tent, hoping and praying for a way to get back home, when Chubbs and his owners paid her a surprise visit.

They gave her socks, blankets and some exciting news.

"We put a GoFundMe account on Facebook, and we have enough money to buy you a ticket to go back to Ohio," said Trish. "We want you back with your family just like you brought Chubbs back to us."

Trish said people they don't even know pledged money to help get Tracy's ticket home.

"Thank you, I don't know what to think," said Tracy. "My faith is restored in humanity, just when I thought there is no good people out there anymore...Thank you so much, my grand kids are going to be so happy, and I am going to be so happy to see them. Thank you so much, there is nothing I can do except to pay it forward to someone else."

She said she was completely shocked by the gesture.

"I just don't even. I am in shock, I am absolutely in shock," said Tracy. "I can't even begin to explain in words what I am feeling right now. I was just so happy with the socks and the candy canes."

She plans to go to church with the family Sunday, then back to Ohio, just in time to spend the holidays with her grandchildren.

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