The Homeless Teen Who Biked 6 Hours to School — and the Georgia Town That United Around Him

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When officers Maria Gebelein and Dicky Carreker received a call about a tent set up near one of the parking lots at Gordon State College, little did they know that they were about to change the life of a young teenager for the better.

At the impromptu campsite, they came across Fred Barley, a 19-year-old who had embarked on a six-hour journey on a child-sized bike all the way from Conyers, Georgia to return for his second semester at the college. The dorms weren’t open until August, but Barley believed that Barnesville, where the college is situated, was the safest place for him to stay.

"After meeting Fred, it was evident that he was a good-hearted young individual," Carreker shared with The Herald-Gazette. "He was a young boy who had faced adversity but was determined to make the most of his situation. All he wanted was a job."

Although the officers informed Barley that he couldn’t camp near the parking lot, they decided to take him to a nearby motel and covered the expenses for a two-night stay.

"We could see that he was genuinely committed to his education," Geblein explained to The Herald-Gazette. "We assisted him because we believed it was the right thing to do."

News about Barley quickly spread throughout Barnesville, capturing the attention of the community. He spent his days applying for job opportunities and soon secured a position at DB’s Pizzeria, thanks to the empathy of owner Debbie Adamson.

"I made a position for him even before he stepped foot inside my restaurant. I didn’t know anything about him – his name, his race – and that didn’t matter to me," Adamson revealed to Atlanta’s WSB-TV. "I’ve been in similar situations before, so I guess I have a soft spot for anyone who exhibits such determination to succeed in life."

Adamson’s act of generosity inspired the locals, resulting in donations pouring in, including a new mountain bike, clothing, food, and gift cards for Barley. A Barnesville resident named Casey Blaney even went the extra mile by paying for an extended stay at the motel until Barley could move into the dorms, which the college granted him permission to access early.

Blaney also took the initiative of creating a GoFundMe page for Barley. The crowdfunding campaign not only surpassed the initial goal of $150,000 but also managed to raise $184,266 from 5,730 people in just 6 days.

Barley, who is pursuing a degree in biology, aspires to attend medical school in the future.

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