Acts of Kindness
Cop Helps Homeless Man Shave Beard For Man's New Job
Stories like this make me so happy!
Britanie Leclair
07.25.18

People often bemoan the homeless: “Why are they so lazy? Why don’t they just get a job?” Sadly. anyone making these statements has no clue about the challenges the homeless face. People living on the street don’t have regular access to bathrooms or showers. Many don’t have the funds to eat, let alone get a haircut or wash their clothes. Even if the person is working, it takes a while to save money for an apartment and rent. These were the struggles Phil was facing.

Phil lives on the streets of Tallahassee, Florida— but hasn’t given up hope for a better life.

Last week, Phil spent hours walking all around town, looking for a place that would hire him. The homeless man is a hard worker who’s willing to do any job put in front of him, but he needed someone to give him a chance.

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City Of Tallahassee Police Department/Facebook
Source:
City Of Tallahassee Police Department/Facebook

After meeting with the manager of the local McDonald’s Phil struck gold when they told them they would hire him— if he shaved his giant beard.

Now, for Phil, shaving his beard in exchange for a job was not a problem. But as a homeless person, the process was a bit difficult. All Phil had was a lousy, broken razor that was missing a screw. He didn’t have shaving cream or a mirror, but he was still going to give it his best shot. He plopped himself down in the corner of a gas station parking lot and tried to give it a go. After a while of struggling, Phil spotted a police officer and decided to ask for some help.

Officer Tony Carlson was on patrol when Phil asked him if he knew how to fix a razor.

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Video Screenshot
Source:
Video Screenshot

As the two men got to chatting, the policeman soon learned about Phil’s predicament.

“I saw Phil out front trying to shave, having some trouble with his razor,” Officer Carlson said, in a video by the Tallahassee Police Department. “He asked me if I knew anything about fixing a razor because his was broken and if I could look at it.

“It was missing a screw, so I tightened up the other one to the point where it actually worked.”

After the officer fixed Phil’s razor, the homeless man started to shave, still standing outside in the gas station parking lot. Without a mirror, though, he was having some difficulty— and that’s when the policeman offered a helping hand.

Taking control of the razor, Officer Carlson helped Phil shave his beard and secure a new job.

“He was so excited that there was a chance he was going to get this job if he did this simple thing.”

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Unbeknownst to Phil and Carlson, they had attracted the attention of people around.

Greg Wallenfelz and a local girl were touched by the interaction that had occurred.

The young girl snapped a photo which was later posted on Facebook and shared more than 20,000 times.


Greg filmed a video clip of the encounter which he then passed on to the Tallahassee Police Department.

Phil and Officer Carlson ultimately went viral, and their story has been shared thousands of times.

People love Officer Carlson’s kindness, leaving comments such as:

“God bless you sir! It is wonderful to see the Lords will being carried out here on earth!”

“He is a loving caring Christian man. If everyone was that kind and caring what a wonderful world this would be. God bless them both.”

“I love story like this. A job well done. Thank you for your service Glod bless you in so many.”

But for Officer Carlson, it’s just another part of the job. “I like to think of us more as peace officers first, law enforcement officers second,” he said.

It seems like all’s well that ends well in Tallahassee, Florida!

Oh, and in case you were wondering, Phil did get the job.

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City Of Tallahassee Police Department/Facebook
Source:
City Of Tallahassee Police Department/Facebook

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