Homeless Man Finds $2,400 and Returns the Money, Then Wants to Donate His Reward: Get the Whole, Inspiring Story

Canadian authorities say that the man, who wished to remain nameless, wanted to help others in need and the only aid he would accept was help finding a job

By Lindsey Caldwell Jul 03, 2015 1:21 AMTags
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You never know from which corner of the world the next inspiring tale of human decency will come from—right now, it's Canada's turn!

In a turn of events tailor-made to make headlines, a homeless man in Langford, British Columbia, found $2,400 on the street and subsequently turned the money in, so that the rightful owner could be found. The owner of the money was indeed found—but the story doesn't end there.

The honesty and kindness demonstrated by the man who returned the money didn't go unnoticed. Many wanted to find the guy who turned in the money, so a fundraising page was set up in his honor and over $5,000 was raised via Go Fund Me.

According to a press release from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Constable Alex Bérubé said, "After hearing this story and seeing how this case touched so many people, I took a personal interest in finding this man, looking for him everywhere while on and off shift. It's not easy tracking down a person of no fixed address and no phone, but I kept trying because I needed to tell him about how the community had rallied together to help him."

Well, Bérubé's search paid off, because he found the man and told him the incredible news about the funds that awaited him that were raised by strangers online.

But instead of asking how he could cash in, he asked how he could give back.

Bérubé said, "His response surprised me yet again, when instead of asking how to collect it, he asked me how to donate it to Our Place and other food service providers for people in need."

Considering the large sum involved and that the man might be overwhelmed, the investigators asked him to think about it overnight. However, the next day, he returned with the same answer regarding what he wanted to do with the funds.

The man, who has chosen to not be identified, said that he wanted to "honor the generosity of the community by paying it forward." What he does want to do is work, meanwhile, so creators of the Go Fund Me page are now spearheading the man's request for help in finding a job.

Talk about paying it forward!