Printer-friendly version
Thomas Weller in front of his home in El Cajon (Photo by Karen Pearlman)
By Karen Pearlman
Aug. 7, 2025 (El Cajon) – Thanks in a large part to the efforts of a local philanthropic nonprofit, The San Diego Highwayman is on the road to better times.
Though he is now retired, Tom Weller -- known as “The Highwayman” for his decades of volunteer work helping stranded and displaced motorists along freeways throughout San Diego County – was assisted by the East County Posse in the place where he needs it most – the house he shares with his wife, Patty, and rescued dog Sadie Mae in El Cajon.
The 77-year-old Weller -- who says it’s still hard for him to ask others for help (even as he has spent much of his life helping others) -- earlier this year reluctantly shared a dire need for several major home repairs.
Through the urging of friends, Weller has had a GoFundMe page fundraiser in which people from around the county have been donating money to help defray the cost of his home’s roof leaks, broken showers and other bathroom plumbing fixes -- with needs that go beyond aesthetics.
But late last month, Ray Neder, president of the East County Posse, and Greg Brown, chairman of the East County Posse, told Weller to hang onto the community funding efforts for any future challenges.
The group then put together a small posse of its own, with roofers, contractors and others in construction and remodeling businesses to attend to the needs of the house Weller calls “Goose Creek Ranch.”
Brown said, “We told him, ‘Tom, it’s time for us to pay you back. You keep your GoFundMe money -- we’ve got this.’”
The East County Posse first heard about Weller’s needs through reporting by Jeff Zevely of Channel 8, the CBS affiliate in San Diego.
East County Magazine also featured Weller and his story here.
Brown said he grew up in East County and knew about Weller helping with broken-down vehicles and stranded motorists, and had seen his vehicle around town for years.
Weller spent five decades helping close to 10,000 stranded motorists along all stretches of freeways across San Diego County, until health issues forced him off the road in 2017.
All that’s left now is a few more fixes in a bathroom in Weller’s bedroom, which will be done on Aug. 19, Weller said.
Three roofing companies, a simulated marble contractor, plumbers, and suppliers all donated their time and materials. ABC Supply, AVL Roofing Inc. & Waterproofing, Extreme Roofing and Davis Roofing all pitched in as did California Crafted Marble, Inc./CAL Custom Manufacturing, LLC.
The estimated $30,000-plus project was completed for just $8,500.
Weller (right, in one of his bathrooms that is being fixed by the East County Posse, photo by Karen Pearlman) said there is no way he could afford to fix his home on his fixed income.
“I’m very, very grateful for the things that were done,” Weller said. “They were necessary, and neither my wife or I are working anymore, so we would have just had to live with it if they hadn’t done it for us.”
About the Posse
Now nearing its 20th year of existence as an official nonprofit, the East County Posse is a unique grassroots volunteer organization with no overhead, no office and no paid staff.
It’s powered solely by what Neder calls “a desire to do good” — and a strict vetting process that ensures their help goes to those working hard to lift themselves up.
The East County Posse is comprised of just 100 members. Other officers on the board include Tim McDougal, Patti Alvarez, Bill Bodenstadt, Dean Peterson and Bob Davidson.
The East County Posse’s mantra is simple: “A hand up, not a handout,” Brown said.
The Posse operates with an internal appropriations committee that reviews each request for help. Not all the applications it gets are approved. Some are declined — not out of judgment, but because the team is selective about supporting those who show commitment to bettering their own lives.
But when the need is real and the effort is evident, the Posse goes all in.
At one time, the group assisted a Boy Scout who had grown up in the foster system. For his Eagle Scout project, the young man wanted to give foster kids duffel bags instead of the trash bags many are forced to use when moving between homes.
“He knew what that felt like,” Brown said. “So we funded 300 bags, and that project spread nationwide. The County adopted it. The Boy Scouts flew him around the country to speak. And that young man ended up at Stanford.”
(Left: Tom Weller in front of his El Cajon home while a group of workers organized by the East County Posse fix the roof, photo courtesy East County Posse)
he group in just one day also built a daycare center and administrative hub at the East County Transitional Living Center, which helps individuals experiencing homelessness and also helps people with addictions get their lives back.
The Posse’s Reach
The Posse’s reach spans hundreds of miles and impacts thousands of lives — with work often accomplished in mere days.
In Santee, when a military family with two disabled children needed their cramped home retrofitted for wheelchair access, the East County Posse didn’t just modify the bathroom. They gutted and rebuilt the entire house in three weeks — wider doors, new roof, flooring, kitchen and even a redesigned landscape, thanks to others who joined in when they saw the work unfolding.
“We don’t advertise. We don’t ask for donations,” Neder said. “But when people see what we’re doing, they want to be part of it.”
That spirit showed again when the Posse returned to ECTLC to build not one but two 3,000-square-foot dorms — one for 48 single men, one for 48 single women.
In what Brown calls their “Trench to Pour in 24” campaign, they raised $550,000 through community events and built the structures for a fraction of that — thanks again to all-volunteer labor and donated materials.
One of the buildings was framed, plumbed and ready for inspection in under five hours, Brown said.
“There were so many people helping that we caused a traffic accident from drivers trying to see what was going on (from along Interstate 8),” Brown said.
Funding with Purpose
The East County Posse holds just two fundraising events each year — a popular East County Night Out dinner and a large golf tournament at Steele Canyon Golf Course in Jamul.
The East County Night Out event was held March 29 at Viejas Casino & Resort. This year’s 16th annual golf fundraiser is set for the morning of Friday, Oct. 10.
Combined, the events raise enough to support dozens of major projects annually, Brown said.
(Photo, right: Workers organized by the East County Posse get to work on Tom Weller's roof in El Cajon. Photo courtesy East County Posse)
Unlike many organizations, there are no emotional appeals, donation envelopes or fundraising speeches, Neder said.
“We believe in people,” he said. “We think everyone wants to be part of something meaningful. You just have to give them the chance.”Despite the massive scope of the Posse’s work — helping thousands of people, building structures in record time, creating life-changing experiences for families and children — the group stays under the radar.
“I don’t want accolades, I don’t want my name in lights,” Brown said. “I just want to do what’s right. My goal is to live a life of purpose. And I think everyone has that in them."
You can learn more about the East County Posse and help their efforts at https://www.eastcountyposse.net/.
Recent comments