A homeless man was overwhelmed with emotion after receiving a life-changing reward for returning a lost $9,864 cheque.
Recently, the story of a homeless man named Elmer Alvarez gained attention when he returned a check worth $9,864 that he found on the street.
He found a cheque worth $9,000 and returned it to the rightful owner.
His selfless act touched the hearts of many and led to a life-changing reward for him.
A homeless man unexpectedly found a $9K cheque
Elmer has been living on the streets and faced many challenges, including struggles with addiction and mental health issues.
However, three years ago, he decided to turn his life around.
“It never crossed my mind because I made a decision to turn my life over. I’ve been clean for three years.”
When he found the check, his first thought wasn’t about cashing it; he immediately considered how the person who lost it would feel.
He said, “I couldn’t imagine their emotions losing such a large amount of money.”
Elmer found a phone number on the check and decided to search for it.
Homeless man in tears after receiving life-changing reward for returning $9K cheque
He was able to contact Roberta Hoskie, the check’s owner and a real estate broker in New Haven, Connecticut.
When they met, Roberta was surprised to find Elmer looking so unassuming, not at all like the polished person she had envisioned.
When she offered him a reward, Elmer couldn’t hold back his tears.
But Roberta’s generosity didn’t stop there.
She helped Elmer find an apartment and covered his rent for seven months, allowing him to stabilize his life.
She also enrolled him in real estate school to help him build a better future.
Together, they began working on a project to create transitional housing for homeless youth, providing vital services.
“I know what it is to be homeless. Nobody deserves to live like that,” Roberta said.
“He had no idea who the person was behind the check,” Roberta explained.
“He didn’t know that I was a single mother. I at one point was on welfare. At one point found myself homeless.”
Elmer expressed that returning the check and seeing Roberta’s happiness was worth more than any amount of money.
Roberta added: “There need to be more people like Elmer Alvarez. He’s a golden heart guy. He’s a phenomenal guy.”
Social media reactions
On social media, people expressed how deeply moved they were by the story.
Many praised the homeless man for his honesty and kindness, especially given his difficult situation.
Others shared similar stories of good deeds, showing how small acts of kindness can make a big difference.
Some even offered donations to help the man further.
This is a wonderful story with a happy ending! The best kind filled with compassion and love of mankind! One user said.
God is always watching, that’s why we shouldn’t give up. Remember that everyone has its own budget provided by God, the second user commented.
That’s such a wonderful story and sounds like they are both amazing people, the third user said.
Beautiful souls get missed far to often. Roof or no roof, another wrote.
About time we get some nice news like this. I was starting to think the media only post negative news, someone said.