, ▁founder ▁of ▁The ▁Do e ▁Fund , ▁was ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁gar ment ▁industry ▁executive ▁when ▁he ▁became ▁conscious ▁of ▁New ▁York ' s ▁growing ▁hom eless ▁population . ▁He ▁was ▁motiv ated ▁to ▁do ▁something ▁about ▁it ▁by ▁the ▁teach ings ▁of ▁his ▁Catholic ▁school ▁education ▁stress ing ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁community ▁service ▁and ▁supporting ▁those ▁who ▁are ▁less ▁fort un ate . ▁ ▁He ▁started ▁by ▁hand ing ▁out ▁sand wich es ▁at ▁Grand ▁Central ▁Terminal ▁while ▁running ▁for ▁United ▁States ▁Congress . ▁Though ▁his ▁three ▁runs ▁were ▁un success ful , ▁the ▁visibility ▁he ▁gained ▁from ▁campaign ing ▁provided ▁him ▁a ▁platform ▁from ▁which ▁to ▁advoc ate ▁for ▁the ▁hom eless . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁a ▁hom eless ▁woman ▁known ▁only ▁as ▁" M ama " — wh om ▁George ▁Mc Donald ▁had ▁fed ▁and ▁be fri ended — d ied ▁of ▁expos ure , ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁sp ending ▁the ▁night ▁on ▁a ▁concrete ▁side walk ▁after ▁being ▁e ject ed ▁from ▁Grand ▁Central ▁Terminal ▁on ▁Christmas ▁E ve ▁by ▁Metro - N orth ▁police , ▁despite ▁her ▁p neum onia ▁and ▁the ▁free zing ▁temper atures ▁outside . ▁The ▁incident ▁drove ▁George ▁Mc Donald ▁to ▁redirect ▁his ▁executive ▁career ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁providing ▁the ▁hom eless ▁with ▁a ▁way ▁off ▁the ▁streets . ▁He ▁created ▁the ▁organization ▁he ▁called ▁The ▁Do e ▁Fund ▁in ▁honor ▁of ▁“ M ama ▁Do e .” ▁ ▁Three ▁years ▁later , ▁he ▁lost ▁another ▁hom eless