Carmen Mendes was having lunch at raising Cane's Fast Food restaurant when she noticed a homeless woman begging customers for food.
Carmen felt bad for her, so she went ahead and offered her some of her food. But then, she noticed something about the woman that shook her to the core.
Begging For Food
Carmen and her boyfriend noticed the beggar approaching a young woman who was about to throw away her leftovers.
They couldn't even imagine how embarrassed she must have felt to ask strangers for food.
Heartless People
When the homeless woman approached a young lady who was about to dump her scraps in the garbage bin, the couple saw the female patron reject her plea and throw her food in the bin.
Outraged, Carmen decided to do something about it.
Everyone Rejected Her
This scene that happened right in front of her eyes broke Carmen's heart. The woman was a beggar, but she was still a human who deserved to be treated with respect.
While eating her food, Carmen kept observing the homeless woman sitting in the corner outside the restaurant. She lost count of the number of times departing patrons have rejected her. How could people be so heartless? Carmen was so bothered with what she saw that she couldn't finish her meal.
Doing The Right Thing
As soon as Carmen finished eating, she made eye contact with the homeless woman and began walking in her direction.
Carmen couldn't imagine how hurt and ashamed she must have felt after being rejected over and over again. But then, she began to hesitate.
Rethinking
As the homeless woman reached to grab the food from Carmen's hands, she moved away to reflect on what she was about to do.
And just like that, Carmen changed her mind about giving the remains of her meal to the homeless woman. As much as she wanted to help the beggar, she knew it wasn't a good idea.
She Deserved More
This woman hadn't eaten a proper meal in a long time, and she deserved more than some dry leftovers. Instead of giving her the remains of her meal, Carmen felt obliged to do something different.
She decided to buy the woman a hot meal at the same restaurant where she was eating earlier. Little did she know what was about to happen.
Buying The Food
Carmen told the woman to wait while she went ahead to buy her some food. She nodded and said thank you.
When Carmen came back, she looked at her and saw something that brought tears to her eyes.
Pure Gratitude
The woman looked at her with pure gratitude and thanked her over and over again for buying her a hot meal.
However, not everyone was happy about Carmen helping the homeless woman. Patrons who were eating inside looked at them with disgust and gave them dirty looks.
She Didn't Care
But, Carmen didn't care what other people in the restaurant thought of her. She knew she did the right thing, and that's all that mattered.
Despite the dirty looks and comments, Carmen was happy to help someone in need. Then, the homeless woman walked over to her and did something that left her at a loss for words.
They Hugged
The homeless woman walked over to Carmen and gave her a big warm hug. She hugged her as tightly as she could and told her how grateful she was for what Carmen had done for her.
She gave her hope that there are still good people out there who help those in need. For Carmen, this moment was precious, and her boyfriend made sure she would remember it for the rest of her life.
He Captured It On Camera
Her boyfriend, Fred, captured this beautiful moment on camera and uploaded the photo to his Facebook profile.
He later explained that this moment was too precious not to be caught on camera. It was at this moment that he knew how beautiful his girlfriend was inside and out. But, what did others think of Carmen's act of kindness?
Positive Responses
Fred's post instantly went viral, and people praised Carmen for helping the homeless woman. Nowadays, many people only care about themselves and show no compassion to others.
So many users left kind comments under the post and reshared it with their friends. And it wasn't long before the management team at Raising Cane's Fast Food heard the story. What did they say?
Offering Gift Cards
Thanks to Fred and Carmen, the restaurant began offering gift cards to people who can't afford a warm meal.
This homeless woman and many others can now receive a meal free of charge. With all the support she received, Carmen decided to take things even further.
Helping Others
She became involved with organizations that help homeless people and those with low income.
In their free time, Carmen and her boyfriend talk with the homeless people and hand them gift cards. This selfish act gives them purpose in life, and that alone is enough to make them happy.