They say it’s better to give than to receive, and a
Massachusetts woman agrees. After winning $200 in the lottery, she used her
fortune on the less fortunate, buying a hotel room for a homeless man. She has
since raised thousands of dollars for him online.
Sofia Andrade of Wareham, Massachusetts, had just won $200
on a scratch ticket when she spotted Glenn Williams at a stop sign in nearby
New Bedford.
Homeless for three years, Williams was panhandling in the
freezing cold. At that moment, it became clear to Andrade that she was not
meant to spend her winnings on herself.
“I knew that the money never really belonged to me,” Andrade
told ABC affiliate WCVB 5. “This money was meant to help him.”
The first act of kindness was a small one, with Andrade
taking Williams to a coffee shop to warm up.
“He was so overwhelmed by just the generosity of a coffee
that he just couldn’t stop crying,” she said.
After speaking to him and realizing there were no available
beds in local shelters, she decided to use her winnings on a hotel room for
Williams.
Touched by the gesture, Williams said he “couldn’t believe
there’s somebody like her.”
Andrade later posted about her meeting with Williams on her
Facebook page, and started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the man in
need.
The story spread quickly, prompting local residents to get
involved.
A local barber came to the hotel to give Williams a haircut,
and other residents donated warm weather gear. A child made Williams a
Valentine’s Day card, which said: “Know that you are loved this Valentine’s
Day!”
“There’s a lot of good people in this world,” said Williams.
“I’m overwhelmed with all the help, and I just want to thank everybody.”
At the time of publication, Williams’ GoFundMe page has
raised $5,358, surpassing the requested amount of $5,000.
source: RT