Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said, that no man is so poor as to have nothing worth giving. Ron, a homeless man who could be found in the streets of Salt Lake City, Utah, is a living testament that you do not need material wealth to do so much for others.
According to Angel Janes, she was driving home in Salt Lake City, Utah, when she saw Ron sitting near the freeway exit. The homeless man was holding a sign that asks for money or work. Feeling for the homeless man, Angel stopped to offer Ron the only thing she had- a cigarette.
While approaching the homeless man, she noticed something unusual. The homeless man was holding a small Chihuahua which is tightly wrapped up in a blanket to keep him from the cold.
Seeing such selflessness, Angel knew right away that Ron is a good man who puts others before him even when he has every right to prioritize himself- especially in his situation.
It was then that Angel realized that truly, only those who know how it feels like to have nothing know the importance of lending a hand.
Interested to get to know the homeless man more, Angel started asking about the adorable Chihuahua he was holding.
Apparently the homeless man happened to witness a despicable and heartless woman who dumped the Chihuahua from her car to the busy freeway. Knowing that the dog could be in danger, Ron rescued the Chihuahua from the busy road two hours earlier before crossing paths with Angel.
“Just in this brief time we spoke, I was inspired by this heartfelt person,” Angel shared her admiration to Ron in an interview. “He was just trying to do right so this dog ‘wasn’t homeless like me.'”
As much as possible, Ron would have wanted to keep the Chihuahua as his family, however, he knew that the dog needs more than he could give. So Ron asked the help of Angel in looking for a kind family that would welcome the rescued Chihuahua.
Unable to welcome the Chihuahua in her home herself, Angel decided to ask help from her friends on Facebook. From there, another good samaritan, Kathleen Dallmann shared their story on a local animal lovers page.
“A few minutes after I posted it, a lady was on her way to pick up the dog to foster him,” Kathleen narrated. “She offered Ron $50 as a show of her gratitude for keeping him safe.”
The woman who wanted to foster the Chihuahua for the mean time even offered to give money to Ron as her way of expressing her gratitude. However, Ron said he was merely doing the right thing. In the end, the woman managed to persuade Ron to keep the money.
“He was in tears because he was able to help the dog find a home,“Kathleen said, detailing how happy Ron was for being able to help the poor dog. “He said he knew what it was like to be homeless, and he didn’t want the dog to be homeless.”
It didn’t take long for the Chihuahua to find a permanent place to call his home. After hearing the dog’s story, Chastity Guyer and her daughter were eager to adopt him. The mother and daughter even named the dog as Lucky Louie.
“I was so happy that things had worked out for the dog, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Ron,” Kathleen explained. She wanted to help Ron have a fresh start just like Lucky Louie whom he had rescued. “He didn’t even have a place for himself. So, I started a GoFundMe page for him. I didn’t know if anyone would donate, but after getting the word out, it got up to $500.”
The fundraiser for the selfless homeless man has now reached more than $6,000. Kathleen explained that the money will be used in helping Ron sustain a place he will call home.
“He was in tears,” Kathleen updated. “He couldn’t believe that the community would do something so nice for him. When I handed him the money, he wanted some of it to go to the dog’s care. But I told him it was just for him.”
Watch video of Ron below to hear his genuine words of gratitude for the people who generously helped him. Just like Lucky Louie whom he had rescued, Ron deserves to be given the opportunity to get back on his feet again. May his inspiring story remind us that can we do great things for others, regardless of our standing in life.
Video | Kathleen Dallman