Hassel Junior Barber, a homeless man from Kingston, N.Y., taught police in his town a lesson they’ll have a hard time forgetting.
On Sunday, the 50-year-old found a wallet lying on a sidewalk. Inside was a wad of cash worth $485. Without hesitating, Barber handed the wallet to officers at the local police station who quickly located its “very thankful” owner.
It was that simple. But that kind act forced Detective Lt. Thierry Croizer to re-examine his preconceived notions about people who live on the street.
“He surprised me,” Croizer told the Associated Press, “and I was happy to be surprised.”
Barber is a small, thin man who wears loose-fitting clothing and carries all of his belongings in three white plastic bags. He can often be seen rummaging for bottles and cans on Kingston’s streets. He chooses to remain homeless, spending his nights in doorways and stoops.
Right after the man returned the cash, Crozier decided to share the “feel-good story” on Facebook.
“It made me reevaluate my perception of people, my first instinct, when I first observe someone,” Croizer said.
“I felt the story deserved a little publicity because it just goes to show that you can’t judge people by their everyday circumstances or by their appearance.”
Within a couple of hours, people started calling in with offers to help. They wanted to give Barber money and food. But Barber refused to accept a reward.
“He told us that he did not want anything in return,” Croizer said. “That he did it because it was the right thing to do, and those are his words, the right thing to do.”
Kindness Blog 