We’ve all seen people holding signs at intersections begging for money. I wanted to share a story about how a man was driving to work and noticed a homeless man with a sign. What struck him was the man’s sign said he was looking for work and to “take a resume”. Brandon, the poster on LinkedIn, decided to talk to Mark Harrity about his situation to find out more. Convinced by his plight, Brandon posted Mark’s resume on LinkedIn getting his name out there. Brandon’s post is below:
Hopefulness & Judgement
I read through the comments to his post and found a mix of encouragement and cynicism. Some of the (paraphrased) comments I found:
- “He must be on drugs!”
- “He probably has a criminal past!”
- “I’m in HR/position to hire and see this kind of thing all the time!”
Stop – we don’t know ANYTHING about Mark’s situation. Alternately, maybe he
- got cleaned out in a divorce
- was caring for a sick family member or neighbor and ran out of money
- got behind in child support payments
We don’t know without talking to him.
My father knew a man where he worked that went through a terrible divorce. The financial toll turned his world upside down. He even lived in someone’s barn for a couple years. Granted, the rural areas don’t typically have homeless shelters nearby to go to. In the end, he found a way to survive. He got back on his feet. At the time, he did have the fortune to be employed.
This is a great example of a random act of kindness. Brandon took a few minutes of his time to ask a man he doesn’t know a few questions. He took a few minutes to post a stranger’s resume online to give him a chance. Will Mark pay it forward? I hope he does. However, that isn’t really the point. If Brandon hadn’t paved the way, Mark may not have the opportunity to pay it forward.
Follow Brandon’s example. Take a moment and help someone in need.
Challenge yourself to find the positive!
