She Got Fired for Helping a Homeless Man. Then Her Life Changed
Doing the right thing doesn’t require a specific religion or any type of training. It’s something that everyone understands should simply be done. Not everyone chooses that route, though, so the story of a young lady who got fired for helping the homeless is especially inspiring. Her name is Ava Lins, and her real story started the moment her boss terminated her position.
There are many reasons Ava’s story is inspiring. For instance, watching someone risk their livelihood to do the right thing always gives us hope. Knowing that her good deed paid off and took her out of one of the lowest paying jobs in America, though? That’s where the real inspiration comes. Take Ava’s story as a sign of the good that comes from doing what’s right.
Lost Job for Helping the Homeless
When Ava Lins worked at a 7-Eleven in Salem, Mass, she was just a 19-year-old employee trying to earn a living. Back in March 2014, though, this changed when a homeless man walked through the doors. It was cold outside and the man had no place to go, so Ava offered him a free cup of coffee to stay warm. It was at that time that the manager accused the man of stealing.
Not wanting the man to get in trouble, Ava told the manager that he had already paid for it. Her penchant for helping the homeless, however, wasn’t the only good quality Ava espoused. She also decided that honesty was the best policy, and she informed her manager that she had actually given the man the coffee. To make things right, she even reimbursed the store for the cost.
Americans pay $2.70 on average for a cup of coffee, and it’s a safe bet that gas station coffee is even cheaper. Even at such a low price — a price Ava willingly paid — the young woman says her shifts were removed from the company schedule. Rather than letting someone suffer for helping the homeless, though, it seems a higher force intervened.
The Job Offers Roll In
Social media quickly took up Ava’s cause. The manager involved initially said he couldn’t allow employees to steal, but once the backlash started rolling in, he decided to offer Ava her job back. As it turns out, he wasn’t the only one who wanted to bring her into the fold. After claiming she got no response from 7-Eleven corporate offices, the job offers showed up.
In fact, Ava said that she received hundreds of employment offers once her story went viral. With such a reaction, it’s no surprise that she declined her former employer’s request to come back. What’s really surprising, though, is how timely this blessing was. While it’s never a bad time to have multiple employment offers on the table, the years prior to this incident had been particularly difficult.
At the age of 18, Ava was kicked out of her mother’s house. She spent some time after sleeping in cars and on the couches of friends. This probably made the loss of her job a year later especially devastating. The employment offers she received after her termination was certainly an improvement, but one stood out among the rest.
Helping the Homeless With More Than Coffee
There are plenty of motivational Bible verses that can get your day started right. After hearing about Ava’s new job, though, you might just have all the motivation you need. Among the flurry of employment offers she got, the message from Citizens for Adequate Housing stood out the most. It’s an organization that helps people find temporary housing.
What could be a better career path for someone who got fired for helping the homeless? As an administrative assistant for the organization — a definite step up from gas station cashier — Ava got to work in a field she always cared about. This could put her on the frontline of everything from engaging donors to working directly with the unhoused.
Regardless of her specific duties, though, Ava certainly received a reward for doing what’s right. The good that comes from generosity may not always be immediately apparent, but the good always eventually comes. We should all remember this when we’re faced with difficult decisions — even if there are consequences for doing the right thing.
How DonorWerx Can Help
Doing the right thing doesn’t have to be something massive. Sometimes, it can be something as small as a free cup of coffee. Ava’s simple gesture that night likely meant a lot to the man she helped. And though the consequences of her actions could have derailed her goals, they instead put her onto a new path where helping the homeless is respected rather than punished.
If you’re a church leader, it’s important to remind your congregation of the good that can come from giving. Maybe they won’t get a major career boost the next day, but what we put out into the world always comes back to us. It’s easy to make parishioners understand this with the right messaging. Click here and learn how DonorWerx can help you succeed with this messaging.
