It’s easy to make snap judgments on a person’s situation or background, especially when that person also happens to be homeless or on the streets asking for help.
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But the reality is we never know what has happened in someone’s life to bring them to that point, and that reality can sometimes make it hard to know the best way to help.
Why a Homeless Man Stood Outside Every Day Holding a Sign
In the case of one man in West Seneca, New York, that may be why he manifested exactly how people could help when he used to stand on the streets. “Kevin,” as the man was known, used to hold a sign explaining he was ex-military, he was drug- and alcohol-free, and he was in need of a job.
According to many people who saw and interacted with Kevin, he was polite and kind, and really just seemed like he was having a tough time and could use some hope and a practical leg up in life.
He’s just a nice guy. It seems like he’d fallen on hard times so we were just trying to help him through it.
Jesse Dixon
“He’s just a nice guy,” a man named Jesse Dixon told WKBW-TV. “If we didn’t see him for two or three days at a time, it was unusual.”
Dixon revealed to the publication he and his family had given Kevin money in the past, along with snacks and drinks. “It seems like he’d fallen on hard times so we were just trying to help him through it,” he added.
How One Man's Fortunes Changed with Help from Strangers
One day in April 2021, Kevin was no longer on the street in his usual place. Instead, there was a new sign, one that got people’s attention and went viral because as it turned out, Kevin’s resilience paid off. “Thank you everyone who has helped,” the sign read. “I start working on Monday.”
According to an employee at a nearby gas station who spoke with WKBW, Kevin was offered a job with a landscaping company. “He started working for a landscaping company (I didn’t get the full name),” confirmed Mary Ven in the comments of a Facebook post from the news outlet. “I believe it was a passerby that stopped to offer him the opportunity. I would like to know what company so I can repay their kindness with business!!!”
Thank you everyone who has helped. I start working on Monday.
Kevin
Ven wasn’t the only one to share her excitement over knowing Kevin had found a new opportunity in life. “I have seen him many times, so glad he found work and the person who hired him- how kind. Sometimes all one needs is a chance,” wrote one person.
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“I’m familiar with seeing this man often… I’m so happy he’s found a job and what a wonderful gesture leaving that sign,” wrote another. “That is wonderful! Makes those of us who give and genuinely care about those who are less fortunate than us, feel good about what we do,” added someone else.
Co-chair of local event Project Homeless Connect, Megan Bingham, agreed Kevin’s sign was a heartwarming gesture letting people know how much their support meant to him.
“Here’s a man who is so grateful to have found a job that he left a sign for anyone who’s helped him over the last, you know, however many months,” she told the outlet. “I mean, that gives me goosebumps.”
How Treating People With Kindness Can Change Their Lives
If we ever needed a reason to keep giving to our own communities or helping those in need, Kevin’s story is definitely it. It’s a heartwarming example of how every little bit can help, even if we think it’s not enough.
Sure, not everyone is in a position to be able to offer someone asking for a job the employment they seek. And the concern that someone is putting money towards unhealthy habits like drinking or drugs is also valid. However, gifting a gift card, some food, or even some old clothes can always make a big difference to someone who is asking for help. So can donating to local charities and projects that work to keep homeless people sheltered, fed, and clothed.
Above all, it feels important to remember to just have a little faith. After all, we never really know a person’s story and sometimes it’s that extra bit of kindness that really helps a person out in the end.
More Uplifting News from Goalcast:
- Stranger Notices Cold Homeless Man With Tattered Boots On Train - Responds With Remarkable Gesture
- 5-Year-Old Gives His Last 30 Cents to a Homeless Man – Teaches His Own Dad a Lesson
- 62-Year-Old Homeless Man Who Slept in a Cardboard Box for 3 Years Can Afford a Home Thanks to One Discovery
- Stranger Walks By Homeless Poet – Her Kindness Leads to an Unexpected Reunion
