Most of us would like to think that if we found money lying in the street we\u2019d do the right thing and hand it in.<\/p>\n
When one man with nothing found a life-changing amount of money he didn\u2019t hesitate to do the right thing and reunite it with its owner.<\/p>\n
Elmer Alvarez was homeless when he found the $10,000 check in New Haven, Connecticut.<\/p>\n
As someone who had been dealt a tough hand in life, Elmer could have done anything with that check but he decided to return it to its rightful owner.<\/p>\n
His honesty ended up setting him on a path that would ultimately change his life for the better.<\/p>\n
The money belonged to real estate agent Roberta Hoskie who had lost the check on a busy intersection and didn\u2019t realize it had disappeared until the next day.<\/p>\n
Elmer said the first thing that came to mind when he found the check was, \u201cI got to look for this person.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he didn\u2019t think about cashing it for himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt never crossed my mind because I made a decision to turn my life over. I\u2019ve been clean for three years,\u201d Elmer told CBS News.<\/p>\n
When Roberta found out that the check had been returned she was determined to find Elmer and thank him personally.
\n\u201cI expected to find a guy all nice, clean shaven and blue suit,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Instead she got Elmer, who had brought a friend with him as his English wasn\u2019t very good who told Roberta that Elmer was homeless.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt shattered the stereotypes,\u201d Roberta said.<\/p>\n
When Roberta handed Elmer a check to say thank you he cried.<\/p>\n
Roberta streamed her meeting with Elmer on Facebook Live in the hope of shattering the myths surrounding homeless people.<\/p>\n
There are many reasons why a person can find themselves homeless and Roberta understands this all too well after finding herself living in a shelter as a teen mom with just $400 a month to care for herself and her son.<\/p>\n
Roberta managed to work her way out of poverty and now runs her own multi-million dollar real estate company.<\/p>\n
In the year that followed their meeting Roberta has also given Elmer a helping hand. Not only did she find him an apartment and pay his rent for 7 months, she also put him through real estate school so he can become an employee of her company.<\/p>\n
Now the two plan on building a transitional house for homeless teenagers and young adults that will provide the kinds of services that Elmer said are crucial.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know what it is to be homeless. Nobody deserves to live like that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n