Donations for homeless man who gave a 27-year-old woman his LAST $20 for gas when she was stranded soar to more than $240,000 (Details, pics)

Donations for a homeless veteran who gave a 27-year-old woman his last $20 for gas when she was stranded on an interstate in Philadelphia have reached a whopping $239,000.Kate McClure, of New Jersey, started the GoFundMe campaign 12 days ago after Johnny Bobbitt Jr. came to her rescue on Interstate 95 by using his last $20 to buy her some gas earlier this month.

McClure updated the fundraising page on Thursday when funds reached more than $239,000 to say Bobbitt, 34, had kindly asked for the donations to stop given it was more than enough.'

Johnny asked me to please stop accepting donations today. He is beyond humbled by the amount of support and love he has received over the last few days,' she wrote.

But just an hour later, McClure was inundated with requests to open donations back up again so strangers could continue to support the selfless good Samaritan.

'Okay, well that didn't last very long. We just called Johnny explaining that many people are requesting the donations be left open,' McClure said.'

He is more than happy with the amount that has been raised so far and didn't want to seem like he is taking advantage. For the short time that we took it down, though, it is obvious that people still want to donate to this cause.'

Bobbitt has been receiving widespread praise ever since McClure shared her encounter with him from earlier this month.

She had run out of gas on the deserted highway just before midnight and started to panic. She had just phoned her boyfriend, Mark D'Amico, and asked him to come and get her when Bobbitt approached her car.

He told her to stay in the car and lock the doors before he set off in search of gas.

McClure said she didn’t have any money to repay him at the time but promised to return. She went back with her boyfriend the following day and gave him back the $20.Touched by his random act of kindness, McClure returned to the road several times to give him cash, clothes and food.

They also got to know him and learned he was a former Marine veteran and EMT who had fallen on hard times.'

Johnny said, 'Yeah, tell me about bad luck. But don't get me wrong. I'm here because of my own decisions. I got nobody to blame but myself',' D'Amico told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The couple said they were struck by how Bobbitt refused to blame others for his situation and they were unable to stop thinking about him and his predicament.

They noted how he was eager to share the basic necessities and food they gave him with his other homeless friends.

'I wish that I could do more for this selfless man, who went out of his way just to help me that day. He is such a great guy, and talking to him each time I see him makes me want to help him more and more,' she wrote on the fundraising page. After a few visits, McClure started the online fundraiser with the hopes of using the money toward housing and other expenses.

McClure, who initially set the fundraising goal at $10,000, said she planned to use any donations on getting Bobbitt his first and last month rent on an apartment, a car and at least four to six months worth of living expenses.'

He is very interested in finding a job and I believe that with a place to be able to clean up every night and get a good night’s rest, his life can get back to being normal,' she wrote.

The donations poured in and quickly shattered the $10,000 goal within days. More than 8,000 people have donated to his cause.