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Prisoner Who Earns Only 13 Cents/ Hour Donates His Entire Wage - This Completely Changes His Life
Everyday Heroes

Prisoner Who Earns Only 13 Cents/ Hour Donates His Entire Wage - This Completely Changes His Life

Forty years ago, a man simply known as Hamza, was tried, convicted, and imprisoned for accidentally firing a gun and killing his uncle. He was only 16 years old.After spending a literal lifetime in jail, it isn't a stretch to assume that he's become hardened to the plights of others.And yet, after hearing about the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Hamza desperately wanted to do something to help the civilians affected. Despite earning a meager 13 cents/hour for prison janitorial duties, he didn't let the paltry sum stop him from donating everything he could to relief efforts.And now? He's getting the ultimate payback for his compassionate gesture. One Good Turn Deserves Another"Confused and heartbroken" by the news coming out of the Middle East, Hamza turned to his friend, filmmaker Justin Mashouf, for help.Unable to donate his paycheck on his own, he sent it to Mashouf to pass on. All $17.74 of it. (The total sum payment of 136.5 HOURS of work).Mashouf, touched by Hamza's act of kindness, shared the paycheck along with his timesheet on X (formerly Twitter).The social media post went viral, triggering an unexpected outpouring of love and support. Internet denizens flocked to the comments, wanting to know how they could donate to Hamza.It prompted Mashouf to launch a GoFundMe campaign, just in time for Hamza's long-awaited prison release. After four decades behind bars, the now 56-year-old has finally been granted parole. "He has lived with the pain of losing his family member due to his own mistake every day for decades," Mashouf wrote on the page. "While in prison, he has become a devout Muslim and has been pleading for parole for decades... Hamza has finally been granted parole and is set to walk free NEXT MONTH!"He also explained that the funds raised would give Hamza a "fresh start.""Your contributions will empower him to transition back into society with dignity and security after years of isolation," he wrote. "With your help, Hamza will access essential resources, secure housing and transportation, and navigate the challenges of his new freedom."Within two days, the fund was sitting at a whopping $102,172."He gave people hope by showing how selfless he is, and then they gave him hope through their kindness."Justin Mashouf via the Washington PostPaying It ForwardAlmost as quickly as it started, the campaign ended. In an incredible twist, Hamza chose to forego fortune and redirect the support he received towards those in desperate need."He said whatever has already been donated is sufficient for him," Mashouf shared. "And that he didn't want to distract people from those who were suffering more than him."In an update on the GoFundMe, Hamza thanked everyone for their generosity and kindness. He then asked people to consider donating to victims of war and poverty in Palestine, Yemen, and Africa."Look upon and consider the suffering children, mothers and fathers of Palestine, Yemen, and Africa living under inhuman[e] conditions, being bombed every hour of the day, without water, shelter, medication and food … who are ordinary people and citizens just like all of you living their lives having not a thing to do with the politicians, but are suffering [in]humanely, please give to them,” he wrote.On a personal note, he also revealed that he is looking forward to life on the other side of the prison gates. "I look forward to the promise of life, happiness, struggles and dreams, to soar and spread my wings, to be a man, a human being once again now that I know the preciousness and the incalculable value of Life."The Impact Even the Smallest Gestures of Kindness Can HaveHamza's donation to the people of Gaza wasn't huge. In fact, it was pretty inconsequential as far as monetary contributions go. But its impact was significant. By giving what he could, he inspired thousands to rally behind him. And that $17.74? Turned into more than $100,000.An unlikely hero, Hamza is proof that empathy, compassion, and goodness can thrive in any circumstance — even in those, like the confines of a prison cell, where it seems impossible. More from Goalcast:After Spending More Than 20 Years in Prison, Ex-convict Turned Franchise Owner Is Paying It ForwardGuard Refuses to Back Down Even After Prison Forbids Her From Taking Care of Inmate’s Baby – Her Kindness Gets Her FiredShe Was Born in Prison and Then Raised by a Single Dad – Years Later, She’s Going to Harvard on a Full Scholarship

Tweets Expose What Taylor Swift Has Been Secretly Doing During Her Eras Tour - And Its Not Something She's Publicizing
Uplifting News

Tweets Expose What Taylor Swift Has Been Secretly Doing During Her Eras Tour - And Its Not Something She's Publicizing

Taylor Swift is currently taking the world by storm, playing to sold-out crowds across the nation on her earth-shattering Eras tour. (Literally. Swifties set off a "Swift Quake" in Seattle, measuring 2.3 on the Richter Scale.)And while she's obviously busy "shaking it off" with 131 shows across five continents she's not too busy to forget about her boyfriend, Karma. Because despite raking in an estimated whopping 1 BILLION DOLLARS she's also been secretly giving back to the local communities during each of her concert stops.The (Karma) Cat’s Outta the Bag…With a "reputation" for philanthropy, Swift is once again demonstrating her generosity by quietly donating to food banks across the country. And while SHE may consider herself the "Anti-Hero," to those she's helping she's swiftly become the HERO.Word of her generosity first came to light at the beginning of her tour in March. Prior to taking the stage at her kick-off concert in Glendale, Arizona, she made a “generous contribution” to the Arizona Food Bank Network.Swift herself didn’t publicize the donation. Instead, the food bank shared about it on social media.“We are incredibly grateful to Taylor for this gift and for caring about people who are struggling to put food on the table here in Arizona,” said Terri Shoemaker, Vice President of External Relations, in a statement. “Food banks across the state are seeing increases in need and this donation couldn’t have come at a better time. Anti-hero? No. Today, Taylor is definitely our hero.”Swift was just getting started. Days later, Three Square, a food bank that works to reach struggling families at risk of hunger in Nevada also revealed the record-breaking Grammy winner had made a donation."We don't know about you, but we're feeling grateful on this day, March 22!" Three Square wrote on their Instagram account. "@TaylorSwift has made a generous gift to Three Square, allowing us to provide thousands of meals to families and individuals struggling with hunger. Thank you to Ms. Swift for supporting our mission and the local community."And again in Denver, where the Food Bank of the Rockies revealed that her donation would provide 75,000 nutritious meals to those in need.Look What You Made Her DoIn case you needed any more reasons to love her, Swift has also reportedly donated similar gifts to food banks in Atlanta, Houston, Silicon Valley, and Tampa Bay where, according to Feeding Tampa Bay, her generosity will provide over 125,000 meals. According to Feeding America, unemployment and food insecurity skyrocketed after the pandemic. In 2022, 49 million people turned to food banks and community programs for help putting food on the table. And now, thanks to Taylor Swift, many of them will finally find some relief and some much-needed food in their bellies.Apparently, it's not the only giving back she's doing on her superstar Eras Tour. Additionally, she is gifting a super-sized bonus to the truck drivers who have been hauling all the equipment. To the tune of $100,000 each. With about 50 drivers employed, that's the equivalent of $5 million.In addition to the bonuses for the truckers, Swift reportedly just shelled out more than $45 million in bonuses to other members of the tour, including band members, dancers, lighting and sound technicians, caterers, and more.So yeah, pretty sure Karma loves her.For Taylor Swift, it's clear that there is no "Would've, Could've, Should've" when it comes to making a positive change in our communities. And it's a goal we can all aspire to, Swiftie or not.More from Goalcast:Kobe Bryant’s Surprise To Taylor Swift That Created A Legendary BondTaylor Swift Uses Cursed Number to Help Two Struggling Moms Facing Eviction On Christmas8-Year-Old Suffers Serious Burns Because of Her Dad – Then, Taylor Swift Steps In