Too often, it’s easy to turn a blind eye to poverty and look the other way when you see a homeless person struggling to get by. Sometimes, the simplest gesture can make a big difference and show the power of human kindness.
Take Sergeant Hagerty for instance. He’s a police officer in Chicago with an obviously kind heart. He was headed into his local Chipotle one day while on his lunch break. When he saw a homeless man digging through the garbage cans outside, his charitable side took over. Rather than passing by and not giving a second thought, Hagerty asked if the man was hungry. The answer was of course “yes,” so the officer took him inside and treated him to a hearty burrito lunch.
One bystander in the restaurant was Rachel Mitchell. She was so inspired by the encounter, that she shared the story on Facebook. Within just a few days, the post had garnered over 22,000 likes and was also quoted on the Chicago Police Department’s Facebook page!
Buying a burrito for a homeless man was a simple gesture by Sergeant Hagerty. But that one brief encounter inspired thousands with the help of Rachel and the reach of social media. If there were more people like Sergeant Hagerty out there, the world would be a better place. Any act of charity, no matter how small it seems, can make an incredible difference.
Chipotle seems to be a popular spot for these acts of kindness. Earlier this year, rapper Big Sean walked into a New York location and bought everyone free food. It’s probably just coincidence that Sergeant Hagerty’s encounter happened at the same restaurant chain, but it proves that no matter what walk of life you are from, it’s always nice to get free burritos, and receive an act of kindness from a stranger.
We can learn a lot from both Sergeant Hagerty and Big Sean. They saw opportunities to give and didn’t hesitate in helping their fellow human beings. We hope to keep seeing more great stories like this in the future.