Homeless Man Turns in $42,000

In what is a too-often dishonest world we live in, it’s always refreshing to see someone truly honest and selfless. I went to a small high school that prided itself on having some of the most honest students. People would turn in lost money ranging from dollars to even a handful of pennies. Leaving your locker unlocked was the norm and no one ever stole things from it. If you left something in a desk in the morning, it would still be there at the end of the day – if it wasn’t already given back to the owner, Unfortunately, I learned post-graduation that the world wasn’t as kind as the kids in high school.

Glen James probably could have come from my school. The 50-year-old homeless man was involved in many acts of kindness; the first being his own. Glen had been living on the streets of Boston when he stumbled upon a backpack filled with $42,000 at a shopping center. He could have kept it and changed his life immensely, but he decided to do the honest thing and turned it over to the police to give it back to its rightful owner.

But the story doesn’t end there. Upon hearing about Glen’s honorable act, Ethan Whittington, a man residing in Virginia, was inspired to set up a fund to help Glen “change his life.” Since then, thousands of people have donated to the cause (which has raised nearly $110,000) with many leaving supportive messages for him, including, “Such a beautiful person. Reduced me to tears” as well as “We have learned a lot from you.”

Glen says the reason he can’t work is because he has an inner-ear problem affecting his balance and that he’s been living in a homeless shelter in Boston. But Ethan has said he’s begun to discuss with Glen just how the donations will be used.

Ethan explained, “I just found James’ story to be inspiring. We’re so inundated with negative news all the time. James gives hope to people and lets them know not all things in the world are bad.”

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