Homeless Is Where The Heart Is, Part 12

Inspirational, Kind Strangers, Restaurant, USA | Right | March 2, 2021

I work at a restaurant on the night shift. Our manager is really cool and lets us use our own judgment when it comes to serving people.

A homeless guy comes in and goes up to two regulars who often hire people for grunt work.

Homeless Man: “Excuse me. I was wondering if you had any work available?”

Both regulars turn their noses up to him and say no and then ignore him. He then comes to the counter and talks to me.

Homeless Man: “I’m really hungry but I only have ten dollars. I’m willing to pay but I was wondering if I could earn it, instead?”

My coworker angrily says no, but I feel bad for him.

Me: “Look, how about you sweep and mop the floor? You can’t come behind the counter, but you can sweep and mop everywhere else. If you do a good job, I’ll buy your food myself.”

The guy agreed and I handed him the supplies. The whole time he was working, my coworker was telling me that the manager would get mad and fire me over it. The man’s food got done before he finished, yet he insisted on finishing before he ate.

Afterward, I started to tell him he could wash my truck to earn some cash, but before I could say anything, the two regulars offered him jobs on the spot.

That’s the story of how a little kindness helped a guy get a job and hopefully on a better path.