Just a week after police helped Fred Barley, a then homeless student who was biking 6 hours to school and sleeping in a tent on campus, he has more than he could have ever imagined. After receiving donations upwards of His days of pedaling a 20 inch bike in the Georgia heat are all but behind him.[caption id="attachment_7093" align="alignright" width="300"]

source: WSB-TV ATLANTA[/caption]After police responded to the call of a concerned citizen who spotted Fred's tent, they discovered a young man with an incredible drive to overcome the obstacles in front of him. According to Fred, he was just trying to beat the fall semester rush to get a job and a space in the dorms. But officer Dicky Carreker could sense something bigger."I've always been a pretty good judge of character and he just came across as a genuine, good kid," Carreker told PEOPLE. "Conyers to Barnesville, if traffic is okay, is an hour and 20-minute drive in a vehicle. The fact that he had ridden that distance on a 20-inch bike … was beyond my comprehension. It hit me hard that he was that determined."Carreker and another officer decided to pitch in and give Fred a two night stay in a hotel. But when Carreker's wife posted the story on Facebook, no one was prepared for what happened next.

One Woman's Help Turns Viral

Casey Blaney is a military wife, a mother, and was in the middle of a hectic move to Hawaii. But she still took the time out of her life to drive to the hotel and see how she could help the homeless student she'd read about on Facebook further."I said to him, 'I just need to know if what I read was true,' " she said. "He smiled and said, 'Yes, ma'am.' I've never seen a more positive person in all my life."After repeatedly refusing help from Blaney, and insisting he was "fine," he finally conceded that he could use a job. "I was smitten at that point," said Blaney.[caption id="attachment_7094" align="alignleft" width="225"]

Fred and his new boss Debra.[/caption]She paid up front front for his hotel stay until the dorms opened, and set up a Go Fund Me page trying to raise just $1,000 for some essentials. Once the story hit the media, however, donations began to skyrocket far above that initial number. The page closed down in just a couple of days at $184,266."I just want to say thank you to everyone who has helped me," said Fred. "I want to make you all proud."He also landed a job at a local pizzeria, where he is working hard to get through college. Debra Adamson, the owner of DB's Pizzeria, hired him sight unseen after hearing about his story. Adamson herself is a full time student at the same college, and is studying management administration.Fred is currently fielding invitations to speak to kids in various youth programs and even some detention centers. When Fred was asked what his message was to the world after this incredible story, he had this to say:"Don't give up... Even when it seems like the world is against you, keep striving, keep believing in God. God has always been my rock and if he's my rock, he can be anyone’s rock. Let Him handle it and things will work out in your favor."