Off The Record

“What Can I Get For $0.50?” Asks A Homeless Man To A Burger King Employee. The Boy’s Response Demonstrates Wisdom Beyond His Years.

Published on January 3, 2025

We have two choices when someone is in need of assistance. either to assist or to say something unintelligible under our breath and turn away. That appears to be the central issue at hand.

Naturally, we have a propensity to assist those we know well, such as relatives and close friends. However, we are frequently far less accommodating to strangers, especially those who are homeless.

Maybe we’re afraid, maybe we believe someone else will help them instead, maybe we don’t think they need our support, or maybe we worry they’ll spend whatever charity we give them to buy drugs or booze.

Regardless of the cause, homeless individuals are among the most vulnerable members of society and most definitely need assistance.

A young man named Matthew Resendez, who worked at Burger King, seems to have a good understanding of this.

One evening in 2018, as Matthew was working, a homeless man entered the building. Serving homeless guys at the restaurant was nothing new for Matthew, but this man had a unique question for him.

The scruffy man approached the counter and asked simply, “What can I get for 50 cents?”

Matthew had two choices when he heard his inquiry. To answer with the simple truth: “Nothing” — fifty cents would not have bought the man even the tiniest appetizer. However, Matthew chose not to respond in that manner.

An Act of Generosity

Matthew ordered the heftiest lunch on the menu and paid for it himself.

That was where the narrative might have ended. However, a diner saw Matthew’s small act of generosity and responded by giving back. and giving him a $100 tip!

Michelle Resendez, Matthew’s mother, was naturally proud of her son after learning what had transpired that day. Later on, she shared the story on Facebook.

“Proud mom moment! Matthew worked this evening and a homeless gentleman walked in the restaurant with 50 cents and asked if there was anything on the menu he could buy.

Matthew asked him what he would order if he could and the man said anything would help his hunger pains. So Matthew rang him up for a hearty meal and then used his own debit card to pay for the mans meal.

He handed him the receipt and told him to relax and take a seat. The story could end there and It would be a happy ending, but apparently a woman watched my son during his random act of kindness.

Not only did she write the company to let them know about the caring employee they had working for them, she also rewarded my son with a very generous tip! So proud to be his mom and I can pat myself on the back knowing that I’ve played a part in raising this big-hearted young man.”

“It’s possible that if it were a different staff member, they would tell the homeless gentlemen to leave the restaurant without a single thing to eat, however, Matthew is certainly not one of those people. He is a very exceptional young man who wants to alter the way homeless and poor folks are cared for and he was rewarded due to that.”

That’s what I refer to as “immediate” retribution! I firmly think that we are all rewarded in the end when we choose to be kinder.