Homeless Man Finds $2,000, Gives It Back — But When Community Tried To Help Him, He Shocked Everyone

When a homeless man in Langford, British Columbia, found what for him must have seemed a fortune in cash just lying on the street, what he did with the money defied every stereotype about the homeless that society, for some reason, continues to perpetuate.

But what he did after that made an even more powerful statement and has rallied the community, and even the whole country of Canada, to help this man in the best possible way.

The man, who, based on what he told police, is over 60-years-old, remains anonymous, even as his moving story appears in headlines and in viral internet posts around the world. In Langford, they’re calling him the “Hidden Hero.” While there have been quite a few stories of honorable people returning found money, like the one at this link, this one might be the most inspirational of all.

Here’s what happened.

About two weeks ago, the “Hidden Hero,” though no one knew him that way at the time, walked into the West Shore Royal Canadian Mounted Police station with a handful of cash. As it turned out, he held about $2,400 in Canadian currency — that’s roughly $2,000 in United States cash.

What was he doing with all that dough, the Mounties wanted to know. The man told them he found it on the street and whoever lost it probably needs it, so he was turning it in.

The selfless act of a gentleman who, himself, was clearly hurting, understandably pulled at the heartstrings of the Langford community — and of everyone in Canada. One man particularly moved by the story was Mike Kelly, creator of the online local news portal Victoria Buzz.

Kelly believed that any person who would display such selfless honesty regardless of his or her own need deserved to be rewarded for it. So using his online savvy, he created a GoFundMe page with the intention of providing the homeless man with some “Good Karma.” Kelly set a goal of $2,400 — the same amount the honest homeless man gave up.

Instead, the campaign raised more than $5,000.

But there was one problem: No one had any idea where to find the homeless man.

Enter police Constable Alex Bérubé, who says that he was so moved by the story that he took it upon himself to locate the man. Bérubé needed two solid weeks of sleuthing, even searching for the man on his personal off-hours. But he finally found him and offered him the $5,000 from Kelly’s GoFundMe campaign.

And then, an even bigger shock.

“His response surprised me yet again,” Bérubé told Canada’s Global News. “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.”

As a result, dozens of others in the community’s homeless population ate well. But it wasn’t as if the “Hidden Hero” wanted nothing out of the whole situation. The man handed Bérubé a handwritten note explaining what he is really looking for.

A job — so he can earn his own money.

Bérubé says he is now doing whatever he can to help the anonymous homeless man help himself by finding gainful employment that would suit a man in his circumstances. Anyone who might have a job on offer that’s fit for a Hidden Hero has been asked to drop a line to Victoria Buzz at this link.

[Image: CHEK News Screen Grab]