A homeless man has unexpected been rewarded for his impressive honesty and loving heart. Elmer Alvares, a homeless man from New Haven, Connecticut, found a check lying in the street. The amount written on it was exorbitant— $10,000— and still, despite having nothing, Alavarez was determined to return it to its rightful owner.
The check, it turns out, belonged to Roberta Hoskie, a millionaire New Haven realtor. Stunned by Alvarez’s honesty, she decided to pay him back with a little (okay, a huge) surprise.
Hoskie hadn’t always lived a life of luxury and success. In an interview with FOX 61, she recalled her family having financial problems. When she was 17, she got pregnant and was forced to live on welfare. At one point, CTV News reports, she was even homeless.
Hoskie worked hard to get an education, eventually taking an internship at Yale University; a few months later, she purchased a home through the university’s buying program. Her house slowly rose in value; when it hit had quadrupled in price, she sold it and opened Outreach Property Management. She would later found Outreach foundation, a non-profit organization that provides affordable housing to low and moderate-income families.
When Alvarez returned Hoskie’s check, she was shocked by his honesty and goodwill and wanted to do something special for him. Taking to Facebook to stream a live video session, Hoskie presented Alvarez with a few gifts that he will never forget. During the video, Hoskie explains that Alvarez has no idea what is going to happen.
She calls the homeless man in, praising him for his good deed and telling him, “You had no idea the person behind that check. You had no idea of the heart.”
First, she presents him with a certificate recognizing him for his actions. Then she tells him that she is giving him a full scholarship to the Outreach School of Real Estate, of which she is president and CEO. He will also be provided with classes to improve his fluency in English, as well as any career counseling he desires. If that’s not amazing enough on its own, Hoskie even went the extra mile, having lined up a job interview for Alvarez pending the completion of his real estate classes.
Lastly, Hoskie tells Alvarez he does not have to worry about sleeping in the cold this winter; she has found him accommodations and will be paying his rent for the next 6 months.
Alvarez has said that Hoskie’s kindness has inspired him to focus on creating a better future for himself and his girlfriend. For her part, Hoskie is just glad to be able to help someone in need.
“There was a time in my life where I wouldn’t have been able to give anything, and to be able to be in a position to give is so heartfelt.”
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