I was giving a talk for a group in Center City Philadelphia this afternoon and had an hour or so between the end of my talk and meeting people for dinner. My wife was with me, and as we went for a walk on the streets around the hotel where I gave my talk, I noticed a homeless man sitting on the sidewalk, leaning against a building. Since it was one of the hottest days on record, I thought it might be nice to buy the man a bottle of water.
After stopping in a Dunkin' Donuts to buy the water, I went back to the street corner where I had seen the man minutes before. Unfortunately, he was no longer there! Since I was determined to give someone this bottle of water, I went looking for another appropriate recipient. It wasn't more than a few minutes before I came across a man who also appeared to be homeless, begging people for some spare change. I walked up to him and offered him the cold water which he readily accepted and quickly began to drink.
The water cost all of $1.49. It makes me think that I should try to do something similar any time I'm in the city - buy a cold drink, or something small to eat, and then find a homeless person/beggar to give it to. What a small cost to make a difference for someone - even if the difference is only temporary. If you're hungry or thirsty and have no money, everything matters.
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