Homeless Man Found $10,000 Check on the Street and Decided to Track Its Owner

A homeless man found a $10,000 check on the street and chose to return it to its owner, who saw it fit to reward him by changing his life — see how she did it.

It is no secret that homeless people are unpredictable; They could have a mental illness, hide a criminal past, or be dogged by their substance addiction.

This is the norm, but one man changed the stereotype several years ago when he chose to track down the owner of a check he found lying on the street — it was worth $10,000.

That's a huge amount, and it is enough to tempt even the most honest men, but Elmer Alvarez, who believes that because a person is homeless doesn't mean they also lack character, did not even feel the urge to pocket it.

Instead, all he could think of was how he would get it back to the rightful owner — on the check, it said her name was Roberta Hoskie, a real estate broker from New Haven, Connecticut, who recorded her meeting with him.

When she heard some guy had her check, she expected a well-dressed gentleman, but Alvarez was all she found, and it shattered the earlier mentioned homeless stereotype.

He will eventually occupy the role of adviser at the transitional house.

The man's honesty and noble gesture touched Hoskie's heart, but it was not the only reason the woman chose to reward the man by turning his life around completely.

Usually, some people would give the homeless person a small cash gift to show appreciation. Sometimes it's just thanks, but Hoskie deemed all that inadequate because something about Alvarez resonated deep within her.

He was a man on the straight and narrow, a man of principles who decided to set himself on a pedestal and had been living cleanly for more than three years when his paths crossed with Hoskie's.

In return for his help, the woman gave him a place he could lay his head and pay his rent for seven months while he got back on his feet.

That's not all, she also sponsored his education in a real estate school, and afterward, they both started working on a small but rewarding project.

They had plans to build a transitional home for homeless kids and young adults to provide various services. Alvarez's thoughts are essential, thanks to his experience living that way. Hoskie is all aboard, and for a good reason — she also has first-hand experience of living in a shelter.

"I remember what it felt like to be in that shelter," she said, referring to the days before she founded her multi-million dollar company.

Who could believe the bold woman who now radiated success had also been homeless at some point. But it's true, Hoskie, as a teenage mom, worked her way out of poverty, and that is exactly what she is helping Alvarez achieve.

He will eventually occupy the role of adviser at the transitional house, and he has himself and his principles to thank for that.