When Dominique Harrison-Bentzen lost her bank card and was unable to pay for a taxi home on December 4, a selfless homeless man known only as “Robbie” stepped in to provide assistance to the 22-year-old college student.
“I suddenly realized that I had no money and a homeless man approached me with his only change of £3,” said Harrison-Bentzen, a student at the University of Central Lancashire in the United Kingdom. “He insisted I took it to pay for a taxi to make sure I got home safe.”
She refused to take the money, and ultimately found a ride home — but the man’s kindness touched Harrison-Bentzen in a way that inspired her to do something to repay the kindness.
“I ended up posting a status on Facebook to try and find him the next day and it turns out I’m not the only person he has helped,” she explained. “Robbie” has apparently assisted others, returning lost wallets and offering his scarf to keep people warm.
Now, it’s Robbie’s turn.
Harrison-Bentzen began raising money to help the kind-hearted homeless man — with astounding success. After locating “Robbie” again, she began to raise money to assist her new friend.
Finding Robbie was difficult, the college student said. “It took me four nights of driving round Preston to find him and I was beginning to lose hope that I would see him again, to thank him personally for his kindness,” she explained. “Luckily I had my mum and her car to help me.”
She doesn’t want to just give him the money, though. Harrison-Bentzen wants to understand what Robbie goes through.
“And I simply can’t just give him the money, I have to go through the right channels so I will be spending 24 hours through the day and night as a homeless person to understand the difficulties they face each day,” she explained. “If people can sponsor me £3 — as Robbie attempted to give me his only £3 — in the hope of collecting enough to get Robbie a flat deposit so that he can be safe and warm.”
And warm he will be! Donations have rolled in, and over £12,740 has been raised to help Robbie. However, Dominique wants people not only to help him — but to take the time to understand the plight of the less fortunate.
“I hope my campaign will help people think a little more about the people around them, Christmas is a good time to think about other people,” she said. “If people can see what I am doing then maybe they can take the time to just stop and talk to a homeless person, hear their story.”
I hope he wasn’t the one stealing the wallets.. .otherwise a lovely story
That assumption is based on what exactly?
Homelessness does not correlate with criminality — that very attitude is part of the problem.
Thank you for saying that. What Lauren said was terrible and stereotyping. You’re not a criminal just because you’re homeless. FFS
That’s true, just like black skin doesn’t scream THUG.
It does, in Murica.
No it doesn’t.
Only to knuckle dragging idiot bigots. The rest of America is ashamed of what those idiots do to others.
We seem to have more than our share of knuckle draggers lately.
I have some politically correct outspoken friends that cross the street when they see a group of blacks and they deny this is racist!
Fear is not racism. Is a fear of heights racism. On another note, why must all of these posts descend into topics of race? :/
1) when heights becomes an actual “race” yes!
2) Because the behavior we are seeing daily in the media is unacceptable and disproportionately carried out by one “race” , Further this race seems oblivious to the inappropriateness of their actions.
Some people have irrational fears of some things. These are phobias, not racism.
Why would you use “heights” as an example only to come back and state this later? do you enjoy arguing with yourself?
Re: 2). Well when black people stop being racist and carrying out these “unacceptable” acts, the world will be a better place.
fear comes from not knowing. not knowing that a taller person or one with darker skin is no different to you, is ignorance. ignorance thus breeds fear. and fear creates intolerance and hate. that is racism.
there is no homophobia, there are only assholes. the same is true for racism. there is nothing that is an acceptable excuse. the same goes for sexism too. this is the 21st century. it is about time the proto-humans let those guide who are not afraid of magnetism and people…
You dirt bag!
Wow, you’re accusation that the homeless are thieves is really telling about what type of people raised you. Most likely dishonest and envious to boot. Shame on you and your mother/father
I nominate you for the jabanero puree douche challenge.
Yes let’s hope he didn’t steal the wallets just to give them back….right. That sounds very likely.
I am actually happy “Lauren Swan” did post this statement.Not because I
agree with this person, I do not not. I am happy it has been brought out
into the open though the fear and ignorance that is so deeply ingrained
among those who have never gone without and/or have never had the
experience or opportunity to learn from those who have very little in a
positive or even neutral way. I suggest that rather than attack Lauren,
we give them the benefit of some solid information on what truly causes
homelessness (the good and the bad), and the real evidence regarding it.
You cannot cure hatred or fear with hateful words. You can only cure it
with education and patience.
Karma will give Lauren what she needs, both good and bad. It certainly has me. In both directions. Pay attention Youll see it happen in your own life. But I honestly feel like it’s my duty to mankind to fight the right wing of america. I’d like to get stuck on an elevator with allen west
I didn’t assume anything. I didn’t accuse. I merely speculated.
Same shit, different word!
There’s more support of your ignorance than the homeless man’s criminality. But I’m merely speculating.
I speculate that you are a bitch.
Yeah you “speculated” that this homeless guy may be stealing wallets just to return them. Rather than taking the money and spending it. I’m about as cynical as they come, but damn.
You just told us who YOU are. Not that you steal wallets. Just that you would. Teabaggers always accuse others of what’s in their hearts.
You people are absolutely hysterical. Have you ever heard of Shakespeare “thou doth protest too much? ” When was the last time any of you showed any of the milk and honey of human kindness? I’m one paycheck away from homelessness. Does that make you feel better?
Up yours, T N U C
Yes. That’s why I’m a good detective and solve crimes.
Well rather than speculating why don’t you do a bit of research? That way you may actually know what you’re talking about.
Sometimes helping other people damages the self-concept of people who couldn’t imagine helping other people. Good.
Well done Dominique! Well done Robbie. If we all took the time to notice those in need or to carry out a random act of kindness EVERY DAY we’d all be better off.
Robbie’s acts of kindness were tremendous and must impact him in a negative way. Loss of 3 quid means no bacon roll, hunger. Loss of a scarf means not ever being warm. If he can do that, then certainly we can do no less!
For heaven’s sake, can some of you chill? It’s Christmas! Nice story. Nice man and nice lady. Nice post Tracy.
I hope Lauren is not the one stealing those wallets and blaming the homeless guy. I’m not accusing, i’m just speculating.
Thank you Dominique for showing there is still hope in humanity.
Unfortunately, here in the US we have a Republican mindset that refuses to acknowledge the needy noir help those in need. Selfish is the mantra of this party. Just read about their platform of and for the rich. Well done UK.
Well said grandpamike. Ever notice how the most hateful conservatives claim to be the most Christian.
They are the worst….
Not all of us.
I’m sure there are good Christians and I’m sure you are one of them. The people whom I’ve met in business who profess to be “Christian” the most loudly would rob you blind given the chance. They include fraudsters and low life individuals. I’ve come to the conclusion that perhaps Christians don’t advertise their faith.
I am a Republican and a Christian and I always give and donate. I have many other Republican friends who do the same. I also have many Liberal friends who will not give a dime or lift a finger to help the less fortunate. Your assumption is incorrect.
“MIT researchers did find, however, was that conservatives give more to religious organizations, such as their own churches, and liberals more to secular recipients. Conservatives may give more overall, MIT says, but that’s because they tend to be richer, so they have more money to give and get a larger tax benefit from giving it.”
You use that word “Republican”. I do not think it means what you think it means.
“I simply can’t just give him the money” So what is she doing with the money?
She said that she ‘… can’t just give..’ the ‘just’ indicates that she is giving him the money but also wants to give him something else
Thanks for clarifying. Here, in America, that phrase would imply that, she was not going to simply hand him the money but possibly have to go through other channels because of how it was raised or something similar.
Much of the homeless are literally the salt of the Earth. Ten times the humans that most “suits” are. And Lauren is of little worth.
My mother volunteered at a homeless shelter after she retired from the University of Alaska
We go to a church near downtown Tampa and go into the streets to feed the homeless. There is also a shelter we go to volunteer where they can come and take a shower, get a haircut, have a hot meal. We set up transportation to doctor’s appointments and job interviews. They are such lovely people. Many on the streets by choice, many by mental illness and many just because they lost everything. They just need a kind work, a hot meal and some help.
I would like to hear what Robbie’s story is. Does he have a mental or drug problem or did he just fall on hard times?
Sweet kid!
It’d not so much the voters themselves, I know many kind and giving Republicans.It’s the fools they vote for that are the real problem.
You can tell he’s not a conservative!