Homeless Person Donates 18 Cents And Now The Community Wants To Find, And Help, Him

The First United Methodist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, is situated between two worlds — the financial district and a homeless shelter. On Sunday, someone put 18 cents in an envelope as his donation — and now the community wants to find him.

The person didn’t give a name, but wrote on simple message on the envelope. It was posted online by the church’s pastor, Patrick Hamrick, as a thank you for the sacrificial gift, WCNC reported.

“Please don’t be mad, I don’t have much. I’m homeless, God bless.”

Of course, Patrick isn’t mad that this homeless person’s tithe amounted to only 18 cents — it’s not the quantity of the donation that matters, but the intent.

“I picture that individual reaching into his or her pocket and pulling out that dime, nickel and three cents and dropping it in the envelope, writing that note and sticking it in the offering plate,” he told People. “That could really have been a sacrificial gift. That could have been all that person had in his or her pocket that day.”

He received a call from the man, who had seen his story on TV. Though many in the Charlotte community want to help him get back on his feet, Hamrick is torn between giving him a “happy ending” with the assistance and support he needs, and respecting his privacy.

They believe the donor came to a service after the weekly “Muffin Mission.” First Methodist volunteers serve breakfast to the neighborhood’s homeless — about 150 every Sunday — and some stay for one of the two services that follow, KTLA reported.

Patrick said the breakfast is part of the church’s “long-standing commitment to social justice” and mission to help the city’s poor. And the man’s 18 cents will go toward that mission.

For the pastor, even though the donation was meager, it was enormous in proportion to what he had to give. And that’s what’s most important.

“When I saw the note, I just wanted to assure the giver that every gift and every giver is important. I felt deep gratitude because it is likely that this individual reached into his or her pocket and gave everything.”

[Photo Courtesy First Methodist Facebook page]