Why he went from homeless to humanitarian?

From homeless to humanitarianA while back, I was pumping gas when I was approached by a young man. 

He said that he ran out of gas and needed $10 in order to get to his home which was 50 miles away.

I didn’t have $10 that day, I only had a $20 bill. 

This guy looked honest so I gave him the money, wished him well and went back to filling the tank.  A few minutes later, I look up and see the young man telling the same sad story to another patron at the station.

Things like this are enough to make you jaded about helping people.  Especially, people that you see asking for help on a regular basis. 

And that’s why I wrote this story about Mario Martinez eight months ago. Mario was a homeless man who was selling the local street paper for year.   Until the day he saved enough to buy a home.

Here’s that story:
http://www.nashvillerealestatenow.com/blog/the-nashville-bear-who-restored-faith-in-people.html

Mario is back in the news today and it’s not for what you think.

He hasn’t committed any crimes or been foreclosed on.  

Mario just spent three days selling papers to make $100 so he could donate to the victims of the fires in East Tennessee.  

That just floored me.

A man with just a few possessions, gives up half a weeks pay to people that he doesn’t know.  

Mario says, “I’ve been blessed in many ways and…I hope that we can put a small dent in their suffering.”

It’s stories like this that light a fire in my soul for helping others.  It’s people like Mario that restore my faith in humanity.

My only wish is to be more like Mario.   Won’t you join me?

I hope this letter finds you blessed in many ways, and I’d love to hear how you will pay it forward this year.


The Daily Deal in Nashville is located in nearby Joelton. It features gorgeous views, two living areas, a barn and more than 18 acres for less than $325,000. 

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