I was at an Oncue in OKC a few weeks ago and a
Mexican couple and their child was standing out in the sun in the parking lot next to their old vehicle with a sign asking for gas money to get to another state were he claimed he had a job. I pulled in to fill up and the child was a female about 8 years old, she looked scared and hot. As I was filling up I was checking them out and felt like they were not on drugs, alcohol, etc.. I felt like they normally did not do this because they all looked embarrassed and ashamed standing there asking for help. Heads down and little eye contact.
No one the entire time I was filling up gave them anything. They had out of state tags so I figured it was also pretty legit they were trying to get to another state. I made eye contact with the daughter once and I just felt awful, she was hot, embarrassed, and scared. I gave them $40, the mom took the money and was shocked, she said “Oh my, god bless your family”. I walked back to my car and I guess because someone helped them, others started giving them money. The look of desperation in their eyes was not what I see in the eyes of most of those begging on street corners. I still wonder what happened to them, I remember driving off thinking, dad I hope that vehicle has working AC and get your daughter fed.
Hopefully random acts of kindness make a difference.