Kindness influencer Jimmy Darts' GoFundMe for homeless Pastor Will’s family raises over $145,000

In his most recent efforts to raise money as a kindness influencer, Jimmy Darts’ new GoFundMe campaign for Pastor Will, a homeless man, and his family has secured over $145,000. Darts, who records and posts stories of people in grave need on TikTok and Instagram, is well-known for donating money and organizing funding campaigns for his subjects.

Darts encounters his most recent subject, Pastor Will, in a parking lot. In the text attached to the GoFundMe campaign, Darts explained how he came to support Will:

“Today, I was walking around in a grocery store parking lot when I was going to approach a man by his car and ask him for some help. But before I could even say anything, he said he knew me! He shared how recently God had been leading him to watch my videos, and he didn’t want to act like he didn’t know me but told the truth!”

Darts delved into the details of how Will is living with his family:

“He then shared how he, his wife, their 1-year-old daughter, and their dog have been living in their car after they lost their home for 2 years. I felt so compelled by his honesty that I gave him $1,000 and encouraged him to continue to trust God and share the good news of Jesus everywhere they go!”

Encouraging his followers to donate to the campaign he started for Wills and his family, Darts added,

“I say we bless this amazing family that has been through so much with the comfort to get a new van to live in or a home, whatever they would like, to continue their ministry of sharing the love of Jesus with people!”

In a video that Darts posted on social media, the influencer could be seen approaching Pastor Wills, who immediately recognized him and broke down while praising God. He then shared his story with Darts, introducing his wife and daughter to him. Darts’ video of Pastor Wills went viral, accumulating approximately 1.3 million views.

Jimmy Darts is an influencer who creates content on kindness and philanthropy

Jimmy Darts, whose real surname is Kellogg, is followed by 12 million people on TikTok, 2.9 million on Instagram, and almost four million subscribers on YouTube. He creates both long-form and short-form content on all three social media platforms, showcasing himself helping people in need after testing their kindness.

In addition to donating to his subjects, Darts also often organizes online campaigns on crowdfunding platforms such as GoFundMe to encourage his huge following to donate to the people he supports.

Despite his huge following, influencers such as Darts are sometimes criticized. Detractors cite that the way kindness influencers record their subjects, often without their permission, and post stories about their struggles, is exploitative, notes The Independent.

Moreover, the publication reports that concerns are also raised regarding the fact that funds from crowdfunding campaigns often go directly to the influencers, leaving them to distribute them to those in need.

According to Associated Press, Darts has responded to such criticism. He said,

“The internet is a pretty crazy, pretty nasty place, but there’s still good things happening on there.”

Darts also addressed the phenomenon of people who often use fake money to catch attention online, noting that he worries people fall for false narratives online.