Do Have Any Spare Some Change?

Yonge and Dundas Street, Toronto, Ontario

"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none." - William Shakespeare

Today I had to go to Toronto for a couple of hours to visit a dear friend in the Hospital. On my way to Mount Sinai Hospital I came across this person, I don't know if it was a male or female, old or young asking for change. I did give some change because I took their photo but I must say it is so hard some times to know if someone is in need. As most of you know, I do donate my time, my skills, and my money to different organizations in Niagara, Hamilton, and Toronto. But when you are the street and see someone that is asking for monetary help but has the latest running shoes or has animal with them that looks very well taking care of, it always make me think. Do they need or don't they need?

While I lived in Toronto, I would always see the homeless on the way to work. I work ed at 630 or 700am so I would leave my condo early so that I could walk to work. You see so much more in the wee hours of the morning than the average person. One morning in 1998, I met elderly gentleman named John on my way to work I remember that day it was freezing and actually snowing really hard. He had icicles on his beard and just looked so cold. He didn't ask for money he asked me for something hot to drink. So, since I did get a coffee every morning at the Carlton Starbucks I invited him to come with me. The young lady at the counter looked at me like Theresa (yes they knew me by name due to I would get a coffee every morning and walk to work.) What are you bringing in to the store? It is funny how people judge before they really know a person. I Thank my mother for that, she was the kindest and most generous person I have ever met and if I can keep that going I will so try my hardest to do so. So I asked what he wanted and he stated just a small coffee. He sat and drank his coffee while I had to dismiss my self or I was going to be late for work.

Every morning since that day I had a conversation with him everyday so I knew a lot about him. I even introduced him to my three nephews when they came to visit. Franco and Nick would actually run ahead if they saw him and say hi and give John what ever they could.Once Nick Gave him his package of Starburst that he earned while doing the dishes for me. If I didn't see him around for a couple of days I would check up on him at the regular place I knew he would be and I would usually find him either one of the mission he would stay at. Until one day I couldn't find him and asking around I found out that he was in the hospital and was not in good shape due to he was beaten by some youths. He was at a hospital near by so I would go and visit him. He was such a pleasant elderly man it is so sad that people need to do what they do just to get they rocks off.

John did get better and his family came forward they were from British Columbia. Because of the conversation we had I remembered that he had family in BC so the hospital started to look they and found them. The family was actually looking for him for many years but thought that he was dead, they didn't even know that he left the province. They took him home with them and he pasted away a couple years later surrounded by his family. At his passing family informed me and I received a package and a letter from John and one from his family thanking me for my kindness and in the package was the scarf that I gave to him the first time we met on that cold day in the winter of 1998.

I guess what I am saying that some times you have to trust people that they are doing the right thing.