Homeless man refuses $7,000

[dpareja]

And for your feel-good story of the day...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/homeless-man-who-turned-in-2k-refuses-fundraising-cash-1.3127636

A homeless man who turned in a suitcase stuffed with money he found on a Victoria street won't accept the thousands of dollars that has been raised for him.

An online fundraiser was started after word spread of the man's honesty. He had handed in the suitcase containing $2,000 because, he told RCMP, "it was the right thing to do."

Detailed here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/homeless-man-turns-in-2k-found-on-victoria-street-1.3114460

A homeless man turned in $2,000 he found on the street in a Victoria suburb because he believed it was "the right thing to do," according to the RCMP.

"This is an incredible display of honesty and selflessness," said Const. Alex Bérubé of the West Shore RCMP.

But it didn't stop there:

But Bérubé was to be surprised again when he eventually caught up with the homeless man in his 60s (who does not wish to be named) and told him more than $5,000 had been raised for him.

"He asked me how to donate it to Our Place and other food service providers for people in need."

Police asked the man to sleep on it, but the next day, he confirmed in writing his desire for the funds to be donated, insisting to RCMP officers that all he wants is a job.

Mike Kelly of online publication Victoria Buzz was behind the original fundraiser, and has agreed to ensure the funds are diverted as per the homeless man's request, as well as try to help him in his search for work.

Yes. This guy finds $2K and returns it. Then people raise $5K for him, and he says to give it to charity. All he wants is a job.

[ironbite]

Give a man a fish, you'll feed him for a day.  Teach that same man to fish, and he'll eat for a lifetime.

[Ultimate Paragon]

Bu-but poor people are parasites!

[guizonde]

Give a man a fish, you'll feed him for a day.  Teach that same man to fish, and he'll eat for a lifetime.

give a man fire, and he'll be warm for a night. light a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

get it? because this homeless guy burned all the rich using selflessness.

[Ironchew]

Yes. This guy finds $2K and returns it. Then people raise $5K for him, and he says to give it to charity. All he wants is a job.

All he wants is something he is extremely unlikely to get, and all society will tell him is that it's an individual failing. This doesn't sound like a feel-good story so much as a self-loathing man that internalized the standard excuses for refusing handouts.

Y'know, the tired memes about eating fish for a day and things like that.

[ironbite]

Give a man a fish, you'll feed him for a day.  Teach that same man to fish, and he'll eat for a lifetime.

give a man fire, and he'll be warm for a night. light a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

get it? because this homeless guy burned all the rich using selflessness.

Ok so when you see a foot coming for you gonads, just sit there and take it because YOU EARNED IT BUDDY!

Ironbite-*slots the Final Attack Card and jumps into the air*

[rookie]

So, Ironchew, by that logic a promotion is worse than a bonus?

[mellenORL]

I'm willing to give the homeless guy a little credit for being intelligent enough to know that his actions may very well lead to sincere job offers - good publicity and all that. Worth a hell of a lot more than a few grand.

I also think he was expressing some very well-meant contempt for the "I am proving that I care" self-congratulatory condescension that is a big part of most people's motivation in giving to social media causes like this. He is instead throwing the real issue up high in the air for all to see, that the problem is so much more vast and desperate than just him.

TLDR; I think he has too much respect for other homeless people to sell out and take the money.

[Askold]

2000$ will support him for a month or two depending on how he lives (and hopefully he won't get robbed of that money in that time.)

If he gets a job with this publicity he can rent an apartment and support himself as long as he can keep on working.

...After that he is screwed anyway because USA. So hopefully he won't get sick or have any plans of living past retirement age.