A homeless man was once sitting outside an Outback Steakhouse in Fort Worth, Texas, not knowing how his life was about to change because of the generosity of his community.
Kenneth Smith, a man who found himself living on the streets was surprised to find kindhearted people who helped him get back on his feet. It all began when a woman approached him as he was sitting outside the Outback Steakhouse and asked he was alright.
Smith told the woman that he was "not OK at this time," as he recounted to WFAA-TV, as per Faithwire. She then gave him a $100 gift card to the steakhouse so he could have a warm meal. He did and later found himself in a conversation with the restaurant's managing partner, Laura Hodges. She later recounted to WFAA-TV how she gave him her business card and offered him food "any time" he needed it, telling the homeless Texas man, "I want you to always have somewhere that you can get a warm meal."
The homeless Texas man was not one to turn down a blessing, so he came by once in a while over the span of five months until he mustered up enough courage to ask if he could have a job at the Outback Steakhouse. Hodges gave him one and the homeless Texas man quickly went to work cleaning and and bussing tables at the Outback on Bryant Irving Road for about a month. It was then he realized he needed an actual place to stay.
Hodges went online and got in touch with Fort Worth Foodies, a local Facebook group in which she asked around for any recommendations on nearby motels with affordable nightly rates, so that Smith could have a place to stay in.
The homeless Texas man got more than just recommendations, however, According to FOX News, the Fort Worth Foodies raised up to $2,200, booked him a six-week stay at a nearby hotel, and even gathered donations in kind for Smith. He then received clothing, kitchen items, groceries, and a bicycle that he could use to get to and from work.
"I think it's so much of a good blessing," Smith said, marveling at the compassion from complete strangers. "And it's wonderful just to have people these days that'll do things for you."
Hodges was also surprised at the compassion Smith received from complete strangers. She admitted that she had "no idea that people were going to latch onto that." She said that like her, these complete strangers "[threw] assistance out there and resources in any way that they possibly could."
Hodges is also hopeful that they could find the woman who first gave Smith the $100 gift card, as she was the reason why generosity had snowballed into something this big, bringing the community together. Hodges said that the woman "blessed" both Smith and herself and that she was truly "blown away by the generosity of people."
"This is a whole new beginning that God has blessed me with," Smith said of the compassion he experienced from complete strangers. "So I'm trying to get on this right, good track that He wants me to stay on."
