Sadly it's not something we get to see everyday, so when we do, it warms the heart - it's about putting human compassion first.
I read a story the other day and I would like to think, if put in the same situation, I would do the very same thing.
I don't know how she wound in the predicament she found herself in, I don't know the measures she took to get out of it, but desperate to feed her hungry children a mother in Miami resorted to theft which naturally in turn, resulted in the arrival of a police officer.
It was a female officer on duty that day, and lucky for the desperate mom (Jessica Robles), it would turn out to be one of the most fortunate meetings of her life. The officer's name was Vicky Thomas. Thomas arrived on the scene fully prepared to arrest Robles but something changed her mind. Instead of slapping on the cuffs she bought Robles $100 worth of groceries.
"I made the decision to buy her some groceries because arresting her wasn't going to solve the problem with her children being hungry." And hungry they were. Reportedly one of the children started crying when she told a local TV station about how dire their situation was: "It's not fun to see my brother in the dirt hungry, asking for food, and we have to tell him, 'There is nothing here.'" Thomas says she has no question that what she did was right, "To see them go through the bags when we brought them in, it was like Christmas. That $100 to me was worth it." Well worth it I'd say.
Thomas had one request of Robles as she handed over the groceries. "The only thing I asked of her is, when she gets on her feet, that she help someone else out. And she said she would."
Interestingly enough the giving spirit didn't stop there. After word got out about what happened, other people rallied together and donated another $700 for Robles to spend at the grocery store. And then to top it all off, a local business owner invited her in for an interview. They hired her on the spot as a customer service rep. She started crying when she was told. "There's no words how grateful I am that you took your time and helped somebody out. Especially somebody like me."
Somebody like me? Somebody like you. Anybody can find themselves down on their luck and wouldn't it be nice to think if you did, there would be somebody like Thomas to show up to help turn it all around? It was a small gesture but it changed lives.
