Older Lady Spends Whole Pension on Dinners For Homeless People, One Night They Pay Her a Visit — Story of the Day

An older woman whose pension is her only source of income spends it all to make dinner for homeless people every day. One night, they unexpectedly flock to her doorstep, and she answers the door, unprepared to see what one of them held in his hand.

Retired social worker Cindy suffered the most brutal loss of her life when she lost her husband, Adam when she was 35. For the next several decades, her life would turn into a dark, haunted nightmare of sorrow, loneliness, and pain.

She retired at 69 and had no children or anybody she could call 'family.' Poor Cindy was left with nothing but memories of her late husband, their unfulfilled dreams to have kids, and the dark phase of her childhood she spent on the streets with her homeless parents.

Although they'd been only temporarily homeless after a hurricane, it still left an indelible scar on Cindy's soul, something she could never forget.

To anybody who knew of Cindy's retirement, it seemed she had happily settled to enjoy her pension. It was not free money. She deserved every penny of it for her years of dedication and hard work.

She was unprepared for what she would see that night. She heard a loud banging on her door and muted the TV before getting up to answer it.

While Cindy could've easily spent her old age peacefully on her allowance, she did not want to do that. Something else haunted her mind...something about the homeless people in the metro station she met while riding daily to work. They reminded her of her childhood and her parents' struggles to afford at least one proper meal a day.

Cindy was grateful that she'd escaped the streets and the misery of homelessness, but it hurt her that few were as blessed. So she spent her entire pension to buy groceries, and cook dinner for 25 homeless people she knew.

Every day, Cindy would wake up early and start working in the kitchen. First, she would cook huge pots of porridge and pack them in several disposable containers. Then she would get started with preparing sandwiches and then tortillas and vegetables. Steak rolls and burgers were included in her weekend menu.

It wouldn't be a surprise that Cindy ate whatever she cooked for the homeless people. She never made anything special or separate for herself. And cooking dinner for so many people a day, including herself, was no easy task.

But here she was—doing everything she could to feed the hungry people she knew. The homeless people at the metro station could not thank Cindy enough for her kindness. They even asked her where she lived, but she refused to disclose her address.

"I'm just an old lady who does not want you to go to sleep hungry!" she often joked. But who knew that one day, one of the guys would silently creep behind Cindy with his friends and gather all his homeless buddies outside her house the following night?

"Hurry up! We have to go there on time. We have to surprise her!" said the man named Jonathan. His buddies in the homeless troop agreed and marched to Cindy's address. She had no idea they were coming to her with something she could never imagine.

That day, Cindy had taken a break from cooking. Not that she was exhausted or had given up. She had given the homeless snacks that wouldn't spoil over the weekend.

Even though Cindy took the break, she made sure the folks who relied on her had something to eat. What a kind heart Cindy had! But she was unprepared for what she would see that night. She heard a loud banging on her door and muted the TV before getting up to answer it.

"Who has come to see me at this time?" she wondered. "Coming, one second...."

On her patio stood the 25 homeless people she'd been feeding dinner. "Oh my! What brought you here, and how did you find my address?" she cried as Jonathan advanced towards her with a box. Cindy was startled.

"Happy Birthday!" they shouted, startling Cindy. "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear...." they sang as a stunned Cindy melted into tears.

As it turned out, Jonathan and a few homeless men had followed Cindy the previous day to her house without her knowledge. They heard her talk to someone on the phone and tell them that she would not go anywhere the next day as it was her 70th birthday.

"We did not mean to intrude or anything. We just wanted to know more about the kind woman who fed us," said Jonathan. "Then, we learned it is your birthday today and bought this cake and candles for you!" added another.

The way the homeless people surprised Cindy on her birthday moved her to tears. She welcomed them home and shared her birthday cake with them. It was the best birthday she'd ever celebrated.

What can we learn from this story?

• Always be grateful to those who help you. Cindy spent her entire pension on feeding 25 homeless people dinner every day. Touched by her kindness, they surprised her on her 70th birthday with a cake. While Cindy usually spent her special day alone, this time, she celebrated the best birthday of her life with all her homeless buddies.
• Everyone deserves better days, so help the needy whenever you can. Though Cindy could have lived a restful life with her pension, she spent it entirely on food for homeless people. She ensured they ate one proper meal a day and never went to sleep hungry.

Cops find a new girl among the homeless and treat her with pizza. Years later, they are stunned to see her step out at the same spot in a luxe car. Click here to read the full story.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.