Homeless man finds $10,000 check, tracks its owner.

Homeless Man Returns $10,000 - Gets Reward He Will Never Forget

Whenever you do good to others, it will come back to you in ways you never expected. Just like this remarkable man.

Elmer Alvarez

A homeless man was rewarded for his honesty and kind heart. Elmer Alvarez, from New Haven, Connecticut, found a check lying in the street.

The amount written on it was enormous— $10,000! Despite having nothing, Elmer was determined to return it to its rightful owner.

Roberta Hoskie

It turns out that the check belonged to Roberta Hoskie, a New Haven realtor millionaire. Stunned by Elmer’s honesty, she decided to pay him back with a little (okay, a huge) surprise.

Hoskie hadn’t always lived a life of luxury and success. She recalled her family having financial problems. When she was 17, she got pregnant and was forced to live on welfare. At one point, she was even homeless.

Hoskie worked hard to get an education, eventually taking an internship at Yale University; a few months later, she purchased a home through the university’s buying program. Her house slowly rose in value; when it hit had quadrupled in price, she sold it and opened Outreach Property Management. She would later found Outreach foundation, a non-profit organization that provides affordable housing to low and moderate-income families.

Elmer Alvarez, Roberta Hoskie and Hector Colon on Temple Street.

When Alvarez returned Hoskie’s check, she was shocked by his honesty and goodwill and wanted to do something special for him. Taking to Facebook to stream a live video session, Hoskie presented Alvarez with few gifts that he will never forget.

She calls the homeless man in, praising him for his good deed and telling him, “You had no idea the person behind that check. You had no idea of the heart.”

First, she presents him a certificate recognizing him for his actions. Then she tells him that she is giving him a full scholarship to the Outreach School of Real Estate, of which she is president and CEO. He will also be provided with classes to improve his fluency in English, as well as any career counseling he desires. If that’s not amazing enough on its own, Hoskie even went the extra mile, having lined up a job interview for Alvarez pending the completion of his real estate classes.

Roberta and Elmer hugs as she rewarded him for good deed.

Lastly, Hoskie tells Alvarez he does not have to worry about sleeping in the cold this winter; she has found him accommodations and will be paying his rent for the next six months.

Alvarez has said that Hoskie’s kindness has inspired him to focus on creating a better future for himself and his girlfriend. For her part, Hoskie is just glad to be able to help someone in need.

Life is not just about having money. If we learn to love and value each other, life would be more comfortable.

“The good deed you do today, for a brother or sister in need will come back to you some day, for humanity's a circle in deed.”

- Robert Alan Aurthur