The old saying goes, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. But, teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
That’s what a 17-year-old with a heart of gold did for a homeless man in Philadelphia to help him get back on his feet.
Philadelphia resident Dejour Williams is a busy student. He owns a lawn mowing company, volunteers at a nonprofit called Hub of Hope, which strives to break the cycle of homelessness, and runs a nonprofit of his own called We Can Do Better alongside his mother, Lakeia Williams, WPVI-TV reported.
“Our goal is to help bring people back together in our city and help those who have fallen down on luck,” Lakeia Williams said.
Through their volunteer work, the mother-son duo met Hosea Twiggs, a homeless man who has been looking for work.
“I’m on the street right now, in transition to get work so that I can get off the streets,” Twiggs said.
So Dejour decided to give Twiggs a lawn mower to help him do just that. He even took the time to show him how the machinery works.
Twiggs met his first potential customer before he even walked out of the Hub of Hope Center City location.
“They didn’t have to do it,” Twiggs said of the Williams’ generosity. “All these other people here, they chose me, and I feel really happy.”
The teen described Twiggs as having a welcoming presence, firm handshake and nice smile, adding that he is simply “cool.”
“Next time I see you, I’m coming over for dinner,” Lakeia Williams told Twiggs.
Dejour Williams said he hopes his story inspires others to give back, particularly in ways that help people who are down on their luck get back on their feet.
(H/T: WPVI-TV)