Cop and case worker help homeless man living in a cardboard box find forgotten bank account – with enough social security benefits in it to get him his own HOUSE
Identity th.e.f.t is no laughing matter. In some cases, these thieves can steal more than just your money — they can take your entire life.
After John Helinski of Tampa, Florida, discovered that his personal identification had been stolen, he had nowhere to turn. Although he is a United States citizen, John had been born in Poland, and he had no birth certificate to prove that he was who he said he was.
For three years, John Helinski’s home was a cardboard box at a Tampa Bay bus stop.
He felt completely alone in the world; entirely forgotten, and invisible.
One day in 2015, John decided to visit a new homeless shelter that had recently opened called Community Housing Solutions Center. Little did he know that walking through those doors was the first step towards changing his life for the better.
Individuals including Tampa Police Department Officer Daniel McDonald and Charles Inman, a case worker with community health provider DACCO, took Helinski under their wings to help him get back on his feet – and succeeded beyond their wildest dreams
Case Manager Charles Inman (left) and Tampa Bay police officer Dan McDonald were determined to find out more and dug further into Helinski’s background
“He needed to have an identification, but we couldn’t get an identification without a birth certificate,” Charles explained. But he wasn’t prepared to just give up and send John back out to the streets. “There was no other option than to succeed,” he said.
Charles enlisted help from Dan McDonald of the Tampa Police department, who stated simply, “I like the challenge.”
With Dan’s help, Charles was able to get John a copy of his birth certificate from Poland, and then they requested copies of his social security card and driver’s license. It seemed that John was on his way back to being able to legally work, which was a huge help… but then something even more incredible happened.
But when Charles and Dan looked into his past, they found a previously lost bank account with money and enough social security benefits to buy his own house.
While John is certainly not a millionaire now, he does has enough money to find himself a home. He’s incredibly grateful to Dan and Charles for helping him get back on his feet. His life is now back on track thanks to the dedication of these two public servants!
Watch the video below to hear the story in John’s own words, and don’t forget to share!
Source:dailymail.co.uk, people.com, inspiremore.com
