Broken Preconceptions
Both Elmer and Roberta were caught off guard by their first encounter. Actually, when Roberta finally saw Elmer in person, she was utterly taken aback. Roberta was surprised to come across a homeless person. “Here I was anticipating to see a neatly groomed man… When interviewed by CBS News, she spoke passionately about how the event had broken through preconceived notions. Roberta's feelings were all over the place once she learned this kind man was homeless, and they were much more complicated as she learned the man who helped Elmer was also without a home. What happened next, though, was what brought tears to everyone's eyes.
Considerable Kindness on a Massive Scale
Upon receiving the cheque, Roberta could not stop thanking the men and expressing her gratitude for their tremendous act of love and compassion. When she learned, however, that these two gentlemen were forced to make their home on the streets, her heart bled in ways she couldn't explain. There was a lot of sadness associated with this finding, but there was also a lot of motivation. As a result of her instantaneous decision to pay it forward and lavish them with a unique gift, the atmosphere quickly became intensely emotional.