Homeless Woman Finds $800 - Turns It In - Has Been Rewarded Over $10k

[matcom]

<snip>

LAKELAND - Canesha Blackman didn't even think to open the zippered bag she found outside a city building one day last month.

The 24-year-old homeless woman just went back inside and turned it in, then returned to the task of scraping up enough change to take the bus to her job at a Checkers restaurant.

It turned out the bag belonged to a Polk County sheriff's detective and held $800 in cash. Deputy Sandy Scherer had driven off with the bag on the hood of her car. Subsequent events have changed the life of Blackman, a single mother with five children ranging in age from 6 years to 6 months, as a rather innocuous good deed has prompted a flood of goodwill from all over.

Scherer went to the Salvation Army homeless shelter where Blackman and her children were living to say thanks. A reporter for the local newspaper, the Ledger, got wind of what happened and printed a story. From there it took off, with donations and offers of other help pouring in. Weeks later it's still happening.

"People give me money on the street," marveled Blackman, who moved from Tampa to Lakeland a year ago when her marriage went sour. "I'm walking down the street, some people will just walk up and give me $20, give my kids money. They stop and talk to me. They make U-turns to talk to me."

A Tampa businessman put Blackman and her family up in a hotel until she can arrange to move into a subsidized apartment. He's also picking up her living expenses for a year and buying her a van.

More than $10,000 has been donated to her through the sheriff's office. Others gave gift cards so she can buy clothes for her kids.

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/09/11/State/Woman_s_act_of_honest.shtml

[Mizmoon]

1. What are you doing posting a nice story with a happy ending?

Have you lost your mind?

[lpbk2713]

4. And a nice story in Florida at that.

Heresy.

[VespertineIconoclast]

2. Fantastic story!

This is the sort of positive story I needed to kick start my Monday. Thanks for posting it! :)

-VI

[xmas74]

3. Proof that,no matter the views, people are still good at heart.

Proof that the poor are not out to loot and rob you. Proof that Americans truly want to help their neighbors and those less fortunate(we just get messed up w/ all the messages out there and the views of the talking heads).
If we spent more time using our hearts and less time listening to what the media and the talking heads say we should our country could once again become great.

(Sorry, I've been having these thoughts about the average American for a while now and had to get it out. We are good people-we get get our views skewed by all the shouting.)

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. It's amazing what can happen when homelessness is given a name and face

Gives me some hope for America that the compassion is still there.

It saddens me that a lot of people won't move until they have a specific person, but speaking personally, it would be easier for me to give $100 to a specific person than to give even $50 to a shelter.

It's a weird psychological phenomenon.


Anyway, I'm glad the woman is getting the help, and that so many are helping her so much! Perhaps we need a nationwide adopt-a-homeless-person program, instead of a send-money-to-shelter program.