MORRISTOWN[1] — An online fundraiser has raised nearly $50,000 for Morristown Headquarters Plaza movie ticket-taker Eric "Fluffy" Glover, who for the past 10 months has been homeless[2].
Glover has been living in a shelter or out of his car for nearly a year, but his living situation only came to light last week when Lidia Udrija organized a GoFundMe fundraiser to help Glover get back on his feet.
As of Tuesday morning, the fundraiser has brought in more than $47,000[3].
Glover, who is known for his eccentric sound effects and welcoming demeanor, began working at the theater in 1987. The previous owner, Clearview, shut down the theater in 2012, but Glover was hired on a part-time basis in late 2013 when AMC took over the location.
Glover said in a 2013 interview he hoped to transition to full-time employment.
AMC spokesman Ryan Noonan said in a statement Glover's status as a part-time associate hasn't changed since he was hired in late 2013. His hours also haven't been cut back despite the GoFundMe page's claim that they have, Noonan said.
"We were unaware of Eric's living situation until learning about it via the GoFundMe page," Noonan said. "We are exploring, and discussing with Eric, our employee assistance options."
In response to Glover's living situation, Anthony Recenello started a petition on Change.org[4] pushing for AMC to give Glover "a substantial raise as well as at least 40 hours of employment a week."
"There is currently a GoFundMe for $50,000 to help Eric out of homelessness," Recenello said in the statement. "But for a man to live a financially secure lifestyle, he must be employed full-time. $50,000 will get him by for a year, but a raise and full-time hours will let him live a good life for many years to come."
Glover, in a YouTube video[5] posted by Udrija, thanked those who donated.
"I'm going to continue keep making people happy when they come to the movie theaters on Sunday," he said. "I'm a keep doing my sounds as long as I can stay employed there."
Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.[6][7][8]
References
- ^ MORRISTOWN (www.nj.com)
- ^ who for the past 10 months has been homeless (www.nj.com)
- ^ the fundraiser has brought in more than $47,000 (www.gofundme.com)
- ^ started a petition on Change.org (www.change.org)
- ^ a YouTube video (www.youtube.com)
- ^ jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com (blog.advance.net)
- ^ @JustinZarembaNJ (twit ter.com)
- ^ NJ.com on Facebook (www.facebook.com)
