This Homeless Man Donated Hundreds — He’s Not Homeless Anymore
Most of us learn early on that good deeds come in many forms. The fact is that you don’t have to donate money to do what’s right. In fact, not many people would expect an impoverished person to give away money in order to do good. This is why the actions of Ed Denst — a homeless man that donated to charity — caught the attention of so many people.
Ed visited Our Mother of Good Counsel Church in Los Angeles for a daily hot meal. When the charity needed help to assist others, though, Ed felt it was his duty to step up. It was an inspiring modern-day example of the Widow’s Mite parable, but that’s not where it ended. When all was said and done, this was a story of how those who do good in the world reap rewards.
Do you need help inspiring the members of your congregation to become more generous? Get started with DonorWerx today!
Homeless Man Donates to Charity
Around three decades ago, Ed Denst experienced tragedy when his wife died. Soon thereafter, he sold his home and spent the money. He was without a place to stay from that point forward. While living on the streets of California, Ed would visit a church to receive a daily hot meal sponsored by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul charity.
At the age of 77, it had been a long time since Ed served in the Marines. Even after all those years, however, he still felt the drive to help others. That motivation became very apparent one day when he brought $250 — all in $1 bills he collected from strangers — and gave it to the charity that had provided him with many meals.
That money would go on to help others in need of rental or utility assistance. When asked why he would donate money he so desperately needed himself, Ed said, “Well, because I thought about giving back. [It] makes me feel very good.” As it turns out, his actions would end up doing much more than simply making him feel good about a generous deed.
DonorWerx can help you inspire people to give back. Get started today!
Good Deed Gets Rewarded
The story of Ed Denst goes very differently than other motivational stories you may hear about. You might expect someone to quickly set up a GoFundMe page for Ed, but that doesn’t appear to have happened. In fact, a serious fall soon after his generous donation indicated that his deed may go unrewarded. As we’ve often learned in the past, however, God works in mysterious ways.
Due to the local media attention Ed’s act had received, a doctor in the hospital immediately recognized him. The doctor reached out to Claire Padama — the board president of the St. Vincent charity — and let her know where Ed was. It was at that point that Claire resolved to not let the generous veteran live on the streets any longer.
She worked hard and arranged for him to stay at a senior housing facility. She was successful. When the media reached out to Ed, he said,
“[It] makes me feel right now I’m part of the world again… The Bible says if you give and you give everything you have … you have given more than a wealthy man just giving some.”
While Ed said he wasn’t a particularly religious man, he seems to have the whole giving thing down pat. There are countless people out there who won’t sacrifice even some of what they have, yet Ed gave everything he had and more. If more people were even a little like this generous veteran, the world would undoubtedly be a better place.
How DonorWerx Can Help
When Ed Denst donated $250 to the charity that provided him daily hot meals, he wanted only to repay the generosity he had received. While $250 might not seem like life-changing money for many of us, think of the clothes Ed could have bought. How many meals would this have paid for? Although $250 won’t fix homelessness, it can do a lot to help a penniless person.
This story shows how important it is to give generously — but it also shows that goodness begets goodness. This is a lesson that many churchgoers need to be reminded of. It’s necessary to communicate this message effectively, and that’s where DonorWerx can help. Our engagement framework combined with various donation platforms can greatly benefit your ministry.
Click here to get started and learn how DonorWerx can quickly increase giving in your church.
