Dealing with homeless people is at times difficult to know how to handle them based on their situation of being helpless.
Helplessness can be a state that some people tend to cause to themselves as a result of feeling pity for themselves or never appreciating what they actually have. But there is also that kind of being needy for which one has no control of what they are going through say it is a result of being unfortunate or unlucky in life…
To care for the helpless in most cases takes heart to do so.point 48 | This is because one’s existence is no one’s responsibility at all.point 108 | Being homeless is also a state of being helpless as there is no way out due to various reasons.point 185 | This defies the law of humanity but at times there is nothing that can be done about it.point 256 |
Thousands of people pass by the homeless and are not even bothered.point 56 | It will only take a compassionate and kind hearted person to share what they have with one that has got nothing at all despite the fact that they could be having more than they did before fate put them in their current situation.point 243 | 1
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One such kind man was a college student known as Ryan Cook. Ryan Cook and his gang of teenage buddies sat around the fast-food counter eating fried chicken at Chick-fil-A, one of the commonest fast food centers around.
When they caught a glimpse of a homeless man hanging around outside.point 57 | As usual, some of the guys sneered and commented on how he had been begging and living on the streets for quite some time.point 156 | The teenagers were surprised on how this man’s situation could still be the same even after such a long time.point 252 |
As much as this entertained the other boys.point 36 | It did not in anyway seem to be the case for Cook as he found no fun in seeing some other person suffering.point 121 | Despite his friends’ initial indifference towards the beggar, Cook decided to approach the beggar.point 208 |
He was taken aback by what he saw – the poor homeless man was counting change out on his worn copy of the Bible.point 95 | This greatly puzzled Cook.point 118 | 1
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He was perplexed by what he had found the man doing. But he did not wish to interrupt the old man. He instead decided to ask the Chick-fil-A staff about that particular man’s story.
The Chick-fil-A worker behind the counter was kind enough to share the man’s story with Cook. She leaned in and told Cook that the homeless gentleman was harmless and a regular fixture in the fast food joint. He only approached the counter to ask for a cup of water that he would give to his dog named Sock.
On hearing the homeless man’s story, Cook was amazed because this was the last thing he ever expected to hear.point 197 | This moved Cook and he immediately thought of a way of helping out this helpless man without actually having to make him feel bad.point 304 |
Cook decided to come up with a way of helping him and Sock at the same time.point 60 | So, he rallied his teenage friends and they pooled the cash their parents had given them together.point 142 | Then they went up to the Chick-fil-A register and bought the homeless man some gift cards.point 217 |
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But before handing them over, they went across the street to Dick’s Sporting Goods for a few more essentials.point 93 | Cook recalled that the old beggar had a worn out bible on the table with a picture of Jesus and some change he was counting.point 193 | The staff said he came in all the time but didn’t bother anyone or ask for handouts except for when he is looking for water for his dog sock.point 308 |
So Cook and his buddies decided to go buy him gift cards to Chick-Fil-A and then decided to go to Dicks and bought him a jacket worth 50 dollars, beanie, 3 shirts, and a first aid kit and dicks donated $20 and some display items they had.point 192 | point 192 | 1
The teenagers spent their own money to get the homeless man t-shirts, a first aid kit, a jacket and a cold weather hat. When they presented the gifts to the man in need, he was very excited, he could not believe someone else would even think about him, later on, buy him gifts.
He said the generosity made him feel like it was “Christmas.”
This story quickly went viral after it was reported across the country. But instead of people patting Cook on the back, as usual, some were dissatisfied by his generous act of kindness, critics began accusing him of seeking attention for being a “do-gooder” or “Good Samaritan.”
Cook, on the other hand, wanted the world to know that the reason he posted his experience with the old man on Facebook was not to get fame or be praised, but rather to encourage other people to do good and be selfless enough to put other people’s needs before their own.
“Just setting an example for everyone else. Be selfless and do good for others, then the world would be a better place for everyone. Felt the need to post this to inform others to do better not to gain anything from it,” he said.
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Ryan Cook shared his experience on Facebook and got thousands of people talking.
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