Homeless Man Returns Lost Wallet, Gets Rewarded For His Integrity By 12-Year-Old Girl

Both Mikayla Gounard, a 12-year-old girl, and Sean Currey, the homeless man who returned her grandmother's lost wallet, prove that the world is filled with kindness.

A moment of inattention

Evelyn Topper went to a coffee shop in Los Angeles to pick up a chai soy latte for herself and a bubble tea for her soon-to-be 12-year-old granddaughter, Mikayla Gounard.

When she returned home, she realized she didn't have her wallet.

"In this little wallet was everything," Topper told NBC Los Angeles. "Every credit, debit, medicare card. Everything I own. I was distraught."

A stranger saves the day

The next day, Topper received a call from Sean Currey, a man who had been experiencing homelessness for the last five years. Currey said he had been looking through the dumpster behind the coffee shop when he found Topper's wallet.

There was no cash in it, but it was full of cards and a friend of Currey's suggested he use them before they were canceled. He refused. Instead, he called up Topper to return the wallet.

"I did it because I got a heart...That's the way I was brought up."

Sean Currey

When Topper received the call, she was ecstatic.

"I was screaming," Topper said. "It's a mitzvah! I asked him if he knew what a mitzvah was and he said, 'No.' I said it's like a good deed."

A memorable 12th birthday party

Meanwhile, Gounard was planning her 12th birthday party -- a socially distanced parade down her street. For her gift, she asked people to donate to Currey.

"I wanted to give to somebody who really needed something," Gounard said.

Gounard ended up raising hundreds of dollars on Currey's behalf and gave him the cash the next day.

"I'm humbled," Currey said. "I'm just blessed. It's hard to express words for it. I'm at a loss. I'm warmed by it, 100%."

Gounard said she wanted Currey to have the money to prove that just because he's experiencing homelessness there's still a chance for him to bounce back.

"I think that it's really important that people who think that because you got pushed down you can never get back up again," Gounard said.

The power of kindness

While the world can feel dark at times -- it sure has in 2020 -- this is a reminder that everyone is capable of kindness.

Sure, the holidays are a good time for this, but kindness can be practiced throughout the year as it doesn't only feel good for the receiver, but also the giver.

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• Brooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For Others