Man Takes Off Own Pants And Gives Them To Homeless Man Outside Of Fast Food Chain

Feb 09, 2021 by apost team

Being homeless is one of the most difficult things to have to live through. Along with worrying about the next meal and a safe place to sleep, homeless people have to also go through the pain of other people's judgment. Too many people think of the homeless as a nuisance and a bother instead of realizing that they are people who have fallen on hard times and just need some help.

Thankfully, there are good people out there who go above and beyond to help their fellow human beings. Daniel Richards from Fresno, California, passed a homeless man who did not have any clothes during the cold winter, so he decided to give him his own pants so that he could be warm! His wife filmed the whole encounter, and it truly is a heartwarming act. This video from December 2020 went viral for good reason. 

Most people who are approached by a homeless person tend to not engage for too long, preferring to either give them some money or food, or just not talk to them and walk away. In our society, this is a common thing to do, especially because people who are homeless are seen as a problem. Thankfully, there are many organizations that work hard to help people off the streets and give them better opportunities, but unfortunately, there are more people who need help than there are helpers. 

Once in a while, we get to see the helpers doing heartwarming things because others have caught it on camera. A couple from Fresno, California, was out on a donut run when they were approached by a homeless man asking them for any help they could lend him. Western Journal reports that it was a cold night when Daniel Richard and his wife Dominque met the homeless man, David. After giving David some food, the couple began talking to him and got to know that David had lost all of his belongings a few months earlier. The only thing he was left with were the clothes that he was wearing. 

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"We noticed he didn't have any pants on just very short running shorts and he seemed to be very cold," Dominique says in the video she posted. Unfortunately, his running shorts were not enough to help David weather the cold temperature of 40 degrees. After the couple got back in their car, they began to discuss how to best help David. It was too late to buy new clothes from any stores nearby, and Richards wanted to make a decision soon. 

"After getting into our vehicle my husband began to tell me there's no way he could drive off knowing that man would possibly go to sleep that night on the sidewalk or behind a building without any pants or blanket of the sort," Dominique explains. 

"We had a short conversation while realizing it was too late to go to the store and before I knew it my husband was getting out of the car approaching David. That's when I decided to pull out my phone and record," Dominique narrated further. Richards had decided that he could at least give him some pants to keep him warm, and the only pants he had were the ones he was wearing. 

Richards told the Daily Mail, "Before my wife filmed this I had initially went up to him to see if he would accept them, instead of running up to him with my pants off as I didn't want to freak him out." This would have been a funny sight, surely, but not everyone would appreciate being approached by a man holding his pants in his hand and not knowing what the context is. It was a good thing that David was asked, and he readily said "yes" even if he was shocked by the question according to Inside Edition. 

Richards made the split-second decision without any hesitation and decided to hand the pants off to David right away. While talking to Inside Edition, Dominique recollected the event and spoke about what happened on that day in November 2020. "My husband, just, was like, I think I'm gonna give him my pants and I was like, 'You're not gonna give him your pants!'" She suggested that they go home instead and bring him clothing, but Richards was unsure of whether David would still be there when they returned. 

Richards also recalled the event to Inside Edition and when he was asked what David's reaction was when he took off his pants, he said, " He had this kind of deer-in-headlights look, like 'Oh my gosh, are you serious?'" David puts on the pants as soon as they are handed to him, and we can imagine that he is happy to have something warmer to get him through the cold winter night. The two of them shared a small hug before Richards left and returned to the car.

Dominique said that she was "beyond proud" of her husband's ability to always do the right thing. She also clarified that she did not record the video in order to become viral or famous. "There was never any intention to record this for popularity or fame or to exploit this homeless man," she said. "My intentions were purely based on the fact that although I know my husband and we have been together over 10 years he has never wavered in doing the right thing or making the right decision." 

"I had no clue that my wife was recording until she showed it to me in the car and she was the one who convinced me to upload the video in the first place," Richards added. "I do stuff like this all the time, I just don't record it." 

Richards has also been going through a difficult time himself, and he told Daily Mail, "'I've been laid off since March so it's not easy to give things of my own, even if it is just a pair of pants but it's just human kindness to do that for somebody." We heartily agree with Richards that the world could always benefit from kindness! After the video was uploaded to popular social media site TikTok, it has garnered over 1.6 million views and many comments that commend Richards for his selfless act. 

One commenter said, "Believe it or not what your husband did meant the world to this man. Just the feeling of any bit of normalcy is huge when you feel abnormal because of your circumstances. I hope that more people can take this as an example of how we should treat each other." 

The world could always use a bit of kindness! What did you think of Daniel Richards' act? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and be sure to share this story with your friends and family! It will certainly make their day!