Brevard man feeding, clothing homeless by bicycle upgrades to van donated by viewer

MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. – When News 6 stopped by the Merritt Island home of Tommie Studstill last week, he was riding a bicycle.
Thursday, the 55-year-old got the keys to his own 2001 Chevy Astrovan.

The van was donated by 75-year-old Toni Beckley from Sharpes who got connected with Studstill after watching the original story last week.

News 6 captured the donation Thursday.

"Wow, oh my goodness," said Studstill when Beckley arrived in the van.

"I saw you riding the bicycle on TV and I thought, 'I want to do something to help that man,'" Beckley told him.
When Beckley heard about Studstill delivering home-cooked meals and clothes to the county homeless on just two wheels something special came to mind.

The van was her son's.

"He was a good guy. He would have wanted this," said Beckley. He was 54, July 11 and he died July 25."
Her son Chris, a Navy veteran, died suddenly over the summer and ever since the van sat idle in mom's front yard.

"He was a very giving person. I know that he would be proud that I'm doing this," said Beckley.

Now, Studstill, a handyman by trade whose true calling is helping the homeless is driving once again.

"I like it. I love it. I can be able to take more food with me and I can reach different places. I can just go all over now," said Studstill, who was driving the van for the first time.

"I can reach out and help someone that I wouldn't even know about any other way. And you guys do awesome things. I'm very impressed with what you do," said Beckley.

The two are working to get the van in Studstill's name.

It has 197,000 miles on it, but Studstill said it's running really well.


About the Author:

James joined News 6 in March 2016 as the Brevard County Reporter. His arrival was the realization of a three-year effort to return to the state where his career began. James is from Pittsburgh, PA and graduated from Penn State in 2009 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.