Homeless Man Puts 18 Cents And A Hand-Written Note In The Church’s Offering Plate


Most churches have an offering period during their regular Sunday church service. They provide envelopes for parishioners to put their donations in. According to ABC News, a homeless man donated his offering at the First United Methodist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Inside the offering envelop was 18 cents. The combination was one dime, one nickel, and three pennies.

People magazine reported that it wasn’t the amount of the offering that caught the attention of those who were counting the offering that particular Sunday. Reverend Patrick Hamrick, the church’s pastor of finance, says he was stunned by the hand-written note on the back of the envelop.

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

Hamrick said the church serves breakfast before church service every Sunday morning during what is called the “Muffin Ministry.” The church feeds about 150 homeless people during that time. Many of the guests often stay for the services that follow. It was believed that someone who had eaten breakfast there had left the donation and the note.

Hamrick posted the note on the church’s Facebook page telling the mystery donor that the community could come together to help him if he revealed who he was, but the man did not identify himself even though he did get in touch with the church.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frvFCYoRLE0

The man wanted to keep his situation private. He asked the pastor to keep it between himself, God, and the church. The pastor honored the man’s request, but he wanted to help the homeless man.

“It warmed our hearts because proportionally that gift could be an average middle class person giving a 1,000 dollars. I feel like he gave everything he had that morning, and it’s a touching example of someone who has so little to give.”

The pastor said the man’s note touched them because it implied that the church might be mad about the small amount. He believes it took courage for the man to write that he was homeless, but still wanted to give. Because the man isn’t revealing his identity, the church doesn’t know who to help.

“I think there could be a happy ending here. I have a feeling there’s been enough support that this person could get some assistance. But we don’t know who this individual is.”

This is just one example of a homeless man who gave sacrificially, and one example of a church willing to help.

[Image via Facebook]

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