Finding a job nowadays is proving to be a challenge even among the qualified people, so you can imagine the struggle of those coming from tough backgrounds, who might be underqualified or “suspicious” to be employed, like ex-cons.
Our society still functions unfortunately around stereotypes and prejudices. There are many people unable to escape their circumstances and have a better future just because they are often judged and aren’t given a chance when they most need it.
Our story today is one that proves that humanity isn’t lost and we are capable of great things when we choose to show love and trust to our fellow citizens. Meet Cesia Abigail, the owner of Abi’s Cafe on Lake Street in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
One day like any other, a homeless man named Marcus entered her cafe. He was wearing baggy clothes that were too big for his malnourished figure and he wanted to ask for spare change. Cesia then surprised him with what she did next. Instead of driving him away or threatening to call the police, she asked him “Why don’t you have a job?”.
Marcus then replied with an honesty that warmed Cesia’s heart. “Well, I have a lot of felonies and no one wants to hire me for that. So, now I had to turn myself to the streets and get money the only way I know … stealing and asking for money,” said Marcus.
Upon hearing his honest confession, she asked him if he would be willing to stay for a couple of hours as she might have a job for him. Cesia offered Marcus a two-hour-shift to wash the dishes and help with some other minor chores around the cafe.
When his shift was over, Cesia offered Marcus a meal, a sandwich which he refused to take for free. Instead, he used his employee discount to buy it. Imagine Cesia’s surprise though when instead of eating the whole sandwich by himself, he wrapped half of it and went outside to offer it to another homeless person. His generosity made Cesia feel even more certain about her decision to help him out.
Marcus started to work at the cafe daily, doing his two-hour-shifts. Initially, Cesia could only afford these two hours, but when she saw that he really was committed to his job, she offered him a permanent position with more hours. What a generous young woman with a heart of gold!
Cesia shared her experience with Marcus with more business owners, encouraging them to give a chance to people regardless of how they might look, homeless or not. In her own words, “Do something nice for someone today and don’t judge them just because they out there asking for money for we don’t know their situation … some deserve another shot. God gave me this blessing so why can’t I bless others?”.
Unknown to Marcus, Cesia’s business wasn’t going well, she was facing some financial difficulties. However, regardless of her struggle, she risked and trusted Marcus. They say “what goes around, comes around”, and this is exactly what happened with Cesia. Once her story with Marcus gained publicity, her cafe started to become more and more popular.
Cesia told Fox 9 News, “A lot of people are saying I’ve been a blessing for him, but at that point, I was the one who needed a blessing”. Since then Marcus and Cesia have been working together and their latest success was that they were able to help him leave the streets. A fundraiser was organized where $8000 was collected for exactly this cause.
This story should end in Cesia’s words as she was the one that made it all happen, “The goal to get him out of the streets is already accomplished. Thank you so much for your donations and concerns if it wasn’t for you all of this wouldn’t be possible. THANK YOU”.
If you would like to see the whole reportage, check out the video below.
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