As major cities in the United States become more and more developed, homelessness has become a more serious problem.
In many ways, homelessness is a problem in the developed world which shouldn’t exist. Although the United States is the wealthiest nation in the world, the cost of living has increased and wages have not caught up. For those who find themselves homeless, getting out of that situation can be difficult—especially when the environment around you is unforgiving or even hostile.
Fortunately, there are some citizens who still reach out with compassion to those who are homeless.
One story out of El Paso, Texas has recently gone viral as a result of one man’s kindness to another in need.
To get out of the cold, a local homeless man decided to stay inside a Lowe’s Home Improvement so he could warm up. Meanwhile, officer Jose Flores of the local police department got a call from the employees at Lowe’s that there was a homeless man in their store that needed to be taken somewhere to stay.
Although Flores feared the worst, the encounter ended up being a positive one for everyone involved.
As soon as Flores arrived, he saw that the man posed no threat to anyone but simply needed some help.
As it turned out, the other employees at Lowe’s had banded together to collect some money for the man to stay at a local shelter that night; all they needed was for Officer Flores to give him a ride there. Still, Flores wanted to pitch in as well. Before he drove the man away, he bought him new snow boots, gloves and socks.
The story was posted online where it was shared thousands of times on Facebook.
Overall, this story is a reminder for us to open our hearts just a little wider to those around us.
Homelessness is a serious problem in America and we generally only think of it in terms of who is at fault instead of offering compassion. Instead of judging, Officer Flores decided to help out however he could in that situation. Although all of the man’s problems weren’t solved, it never hurts to show more kindness than necessary. Especially during the holiday season, we would all do well by following his example.
Salute to Officer Flores for offering a true example of service and protection.
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