One day Sofia Andrade decided to play the lottery.
She did not strike it rich but she won $200. She decided to put the money to good use by helping out a homeless man.
The man, Glen Williams, was struck by Sofia’s kindness. Sofia set up a GoFundMe page for the homeless man and was able to raise an incredible amount. All the donations came to $17,000. However, on Thursday, it emerged that Williams had been arrested for failing to register as a sex offender.
Williams denies the charge and has claimed that it has had a terrible impact on his life. New Bedford, Massachusetts, police reported the Standard-Times that Glenn Williams was picked up by police on Thursday. Glen, who is 59 years old says the charge is untrue.
[rsnippet id=”4″ name=”DFP/34009881/Article_1″]
Glen was helped by Sofia, a single mother, on Sunday. It had been very cold and she had pity on him. She could not imagine him starting out in the cold all night. She, therefore, sacrificed her lottery winnings to get him accommodation. She chose to pay for him to spend the night in a motel. Sofia had been driving that Sunday when saw the man at a stop sign in New Bedford. He held a sign that read ‘Homeless. Please, anything would help.’
She decided to do something about his circumstances. The night was freezing and she decided to help Williams. She told the Standard-Times that she suddenly remembered her lottery winnings and understood that moment as a sign that she should help out. So she took the man to a coffee place.
After she had bought him some hot coffee to warm him up, she decided to use her winnings to pay for a room in a Wareham motel. Sofia said that the man had started crying. He was almost unable to express himself. He was so overcome with gratitude.
He could not believe her kindness. He was about to spend the night in a motel room away from the freezing temperatures and he was very thankful. Sofia shared her experience with her community. She insisted she had felt it was a sign from God that she met Williams after collecting her lottery winnings.
She believes she was meant to use the money to help him. Her community supported her greatly. They were all behind Williams. Even children were touched by the story and designed some Valentine’s Day cards for him.
Sofia was moved to do more for the poor man. She and a friend quickly set up the GoFundMe page for him. To their amazement, it raised more than $8,500 in just one day. By Thursday afternoon, the donations had amounted to $17,370. People had been clearly moved by the circumstances of the homeless man and had chosen to help.
[rsnippet id=”5″ name=”DFP/34009881/Article_2″]
Glen was lost for words at the support he received and tears were not far from his eyes. He looked ready to break down at any moment. Sofia reported that he was so incredibly grateful for the support he had received. He was going to put the funds he had received into good use.
But then Glen got arrested.
He subsequently made a statement about his arrest. He claimed that the charge was like a black cloud that had followed him around for more than a decade. It all started after he started seeing a woman who had two daughters of her own. Glen had just finalized his divorce when he started dating her.
One of her daughters resented seeing a new man in her mother’s life. She hated Glen and a result was quite mean to him from the first day. Her behavior took its toll on Glen’s relationship with his mother and eventually they broke up.
The lady became very obsessive after they had ended their relationship. Glen was simply trying to move on when out of the blue, he got arrested and charged with indecent assault. The mean daughter had made an outrageous accusation against him. She claimed that Glen had touched her inappropriately. Glen was assigned a public offender after his arrest.
His lawyer gave him the unfortunate advice that he should take a plea bargain. It would be the fastest way to get the business over with. Glen had not fully grasped the consequence of the plea bargain. He did not understand that it would mean registering as a sex offender.
The accusation has cost him everything. He has lost his life, his job, and his respect. It all started the downward spiral that led him to homelessness 3 years ago. He has experienced humiliation and has been depressed to the point of suicide all because of the lies told by that girl.
[rsnippet id=”6″ name=”DFP/34009881/Article_3″]
According to Detective Capt. Steven Vicente, Williams is a Level II sex offender. This is where one is charged with indecent assault on a minor who is below the age of 14. It was 1994 when Williams was accused and as a result had to register as a sex offender. Sofia and her friend, Elizabeth, have decided to still support Williams after they had his story.
They will be by his side despite his arrest. They have made up their minds that the new information will not derail their efforts as they work with the homeless community. They will continue to humanize them. Elizabeth has revealed that is quite sad for Glen, but she is hopeful that he can now clear his name and get the detox he desperately needs.
The last time they met he was suicidal and very heartbroken. He was so overwhelmed by his sad situation. She really feels for him. Sofia expounded on their decision to help, in a Facebook post. She wrote that they did not discriminate in helping another human in need.
They do not make and will continue to not make judgments about anybody in that situation. She has told anyone questioning where the money would go that Glen told them to give it to local charities that provide services, food, clothing, etc. to homelessness. She has told The Standard-Times the name of one of the charities Williams mentioned: Mobile Loaves, fish that provides food to the homeless.
Meanwhile, she and her friend wish Glen all the best with his case as they continue their good service to the community.