Art Bouvier works outside a lot to make his restaurant look nice and knows all too well how bad the cold weather can be in Indiana.
So, when he saw a young man walking through some serious snow and ice, he was curious about the reason. To his surprise, the young man stopped to ask him a question. The story could have ended there, but Art realized he could make a difference in the life of this young man.
He decided to offer the teen a ride. He shared the story of his interaction with the young man online.
He said:
“So, while I’m outside putting down massive quantities of ice melt, a young kid walked through the parking lot headed west. He asked me how far it was to 10th and Sherman.
“I told him it was quite a way away. At least 6 or 7 miles. I suggested that he would be far better off on the bus then on foot, especially in all this ice and slush. He thanked me and continued on.
“He could have asked me for money for a bus. In fact, I quite expected him to. He didn’t. He just started walking.
“15 minutes later, as we were driving down 10th street to head to Strange Brew, we saw him still waking down 10th. He was not yet to Franklin Road.
“I told Colleen to pull over, and I called to him to get in. As we were driving, we asked him about his journey.
“Jhaquiel was walking from 42nd and Post to an interview at 10th and Sherman. For a potential (but not guaranteed) minimum-wage job. In this weather. Walking, because he couldn’t afford the bus. He had actually planned his time well and the interview was still 2 hours away.
“We drove him to 10th and Sherman. He was extremely thankful and said so. I got his telephone number and told him to keep his interview, but I would see if there was a way to hire him, so his daily trek to work would be 3 miles instead of 10. I also asked him if he had eaten today, and he said he hadn’t. I gave him money for lunch and dropped him at the 10th and Sherman Dairy Queen. I think he was in shock.
“So, he doesn’t know it yet, but he starts with us on Monday. It’s been a while since I’ve met someone so young with a work ethic like that!”
Art is a true hero in this story not once, but twice.
He offered a ride to a kid he didn’t know, just to help make his day a little better. That alone is an amazing act of kindness. Then, after hearing the kid’s story, he offered him a job, too.
It’s not often that people go out of their way to help others without expecting anything in return, but Art didn’t think twice about helping this kid.
The young man was doing the right thing and clearly working hard to improve his life. He will likely never forget the kindness of this stranger. Fate brought the two together that day. Art got to see that there are people in this world who are willing to work hard to change, and the young man got to experience a selfless act of kindness.
It is nice to know that there are still good people in the world.
Hopefully, this young man appreciates the new job and uses it to better his life. Maybe someday, he will be in a position to pay it forward and help someone else who is in need of a little helping and not even necessarily looking for it. There is a GoFundMe account set up to help this young man and others like him find jobs and improve their lives.
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"So while I'm outside putting down massive quantities of ice melt, a young kid walked through the parking lot headed…
Posted by Love What Matters onMonday, January 25, 2016
