After Thief Snatches $500 From Homeless Man In Shop A Single Mom Takes Action
Oct 18, 2021 by apost team
Sometimes life can get us down so much that we can lose faith in humanity. But likewise, there are sometimes moments where our faith is restored, no matter the hardships we might be going through.
One story from Dec. 2017 is a touching example of how even when negative things happen, sometimes there are others out there looking out for us. The story took place in Largo, Florida when a 60-year-old man named Charles Reynolds was caught on surveillance cameras in a Walmart. It wasn't that he was stealing something but rather he was being stolen from.
After cashing a check worth $500, a much younger man came up behind Reynolds and snatched the money right out of his hands. He immediately began running at full speed for the exit with Reynolds following him. But soon enough the young thief's speed was too much for Reynolds and he got away.
There was some justice, however, with the culprit, Chad Alves-Cardoso eventually caught and arrested, but Reynolds' $500 was long gone by then. The story could have ended there but luckily for Reynolds, a single mom by the name of Kari Diaz saw the video and decided she wanted to help.
Saying she could see the desperation in Reynolds' eyes as he watched the thief outrun him and take away his money, she said she wanted to replace the $500 herself. She told ABC: “I was a single mom, living in low-income housing about seven years ago. I know what it is to be poor.”
But that amount was no small number for her either, which meant that Diaz had to work for it.
Diaz told ABC:
“I worked all weekend. I worked about 10 hours each day. I worked about two hours more each day. To have enough money to do stuff like this."
Mere strangers, Diaz and Reynolds met for the first time at the Largo Police Department, when she gave the old man $500 out of her own pocket. Reynolds was taken aback by Diaz's generosity, while he detailed a bit about his situation. He told the news outlet:
“I’m pretty much homeless and I’m doing the best I can to get up and get out of there and yea, the money meant a lot. Just to let someone like that just reach around and take it from me just pure wasn’t going to happen.”
Reynolds was hurt, both physically and emotionally, while running after the thief but soon after he was able to start healing. He also had a chance to regain his faith in humanity after Diaz's incredibly kind deed. He added:
“Well thank you! You know, I normally wouldn’t even think about taking it, but right now, I’m not really in the position to say no."
Diaz knows all too well that the kindness of strangers is sometimes all we have. A few years earlier she registered her kids to the Salvation Army Angel Tree since she couldn't afford to give them Christmas presents. Someone ended up helping her in her time of need so she sees her gesture to Reynolds as her way of paying it forward. ABC reported that Walmart did end up replacing Reynolds' $500 but Diaz didn't care, she wanted to do it anyway.
apost.com
What do you think about Kari Diaz's selfless act to help out another person in need? Have you ever witnessed anything similar before? Pass this on to those you know to help others restore their faith in humanity.