Teen Gives Away Thousands to People in Need
A recent news article announced an interesting story about true altruistic giving. A real life “Robin Hood” story about a 16 year old boy in Rosemont, Minnesota who gave away thousands of dollars to people in need after stumbling upon an abandoned bag stashed with cash!
The boy, who was identified as being learning disabled, told police that it was his “allowance” after reports were claimed of the boy slipping generous portions into the pockets of other disadvantaged children and local school aid. A bus attendant reported someone slipping $1,200 into her hand bag!
Later the boy revealed that he found the bag ditched on the side of the highway, where police soon located several bags of marijuana and scales apparently abandoned by a drug dealer.
The boy gave $11,000 out of $18,000 to people in need before he was caught and questioned by local police. The boy, however, was not charged. A local police sheriff announced that he was a “good boy simply trying to help people in need”.
If that’s not a Random Act of Kindness…!
This raises an interesting debate: The drug money was collected by police and now could very well be sitting somewhere idol in a vault. So what would you do if you found a bag loaded with hundreds of Jacksons?
Would you help people in need and play Robin Hood? Pay off some bills and relieve yourself of debt? Or turn it in because that’s your civic duty?
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http://www.microgiving.com/blog/2009/03/18/teen-gives-away-thousands-to-people-in-need/
18. March 2009 at 5:23 pm :
People with unique physical challenges have a deepth of empathy that can never be matched by most people. This young boy is a perfect example of his ability to appreciate the needs of others…WAY TO GO YOU GREAT GUY:)
18. March 2009 at 6:44 pm :
I am so AMAZED at this.. I wish all kids were brought up this way!!!
18. March 2009 at 7:07 pm :
Hmm, I suspected you want honesty here. I think I would hold the cash for a bit and check around to see if someone lost a bag of cash. I doubt that if I found a bag of cash it would be lost by an innocent and good person. Yep, it’s probably drug money or some other cash gained by illegal activity. I know that money is not going to be returned to all the buyers and I know it’s not going to be returned to the dealer either, it’s not going to be used by the city or state to benefit the needy so I don’t think I would feel real guilty about using some to cover my pressing needs and then distribute the rest among others in need.
I wouldn’t want to use found money for luxury, somehow that in my mind seems wrong, it’s difficult to explain in words, hopefully you will understand what I’m trying to say. If a found a load of cash that I was sure was obtained through illegal activity I think it should be used to make a positive change in a bad situation. Illegal money is usually out of greed, greed often does seem to make good things go bad, and bad things go worse. If I found it I would feel wrong about using greed money for greedy wants because it seems to me that would make something go very bad. Maybe a karma thing?
If I didn’t have any serious pressing issues such as back due bills or car repairs etc, I wouldn’t be able to use it to say…go buy a new TV or stereo. I would distribute it among those who I knew had back due bills, medical needs, car/home repair needs etc.
Charges? Well I guess if there were charges put upon me for distributing money I found I would accept that because I know that found money is not going to be returned to it’s original owner, not going to be returned to the people who contributed to the fund, and it’s never going to be put into the hands of people who could truly benefit from it so to me it’s not hurting anyone to use found funds to benefit the needy and if there is a penalty to pay I think it would be a small price compared to the benefits received by those who were recipients of the gifts.
18. March 2009 at 7:09 pm :
The kid who found the money and gave it out to others in need earns a special place in my heart. A 16 year old boy could have come up with hundreds of selfish needs and wants and probably met them all, but he chose to help others. That is a pure golden heart beating in that young mans chest.
18. March 2009 at 9:08 pm :
First, I would hold on to it and see if anyone claims the money. Then, I would I would give Rayhawk and JoAnna some. Of course, I would give Microgiving.com some. I would see how much it is to get a pool for Brooks. He loves to swim. It’s great exercise for him. I probaly would send my Dad some money. He’s on a tight income.
With my luck, it would be someones and I would have to give it back. Luckly, a similiar situration has happen here in Lakeland, Fl.. This girl found an envelope with twenty thousand dollars in it. She was at the bank when the man dropped it. The man himself gave five hundred dollar reward.The whole town gave the girl reward money for being honest, so I would get something.
It sure would be hard to give it back, but it’s the right thing to do. When we leave this world, we have one judge to explain things to.That would be the God I beleave in. That is how I live my life!
18. March 2009 at 9:22 pm :
Like most of you, I would hold onto it. Waiting for someone to come forward. That much money would be noticed missing quickly. While giving it some time, I would do my own research because it will post somewhere.
It is then I pose a question for all of you:
“If you saw a police report identifying a bag that was ditched by drug offenders and not recovered, what would you do then?”
If I knew it was identified by the police and from an identified location, I would return it immediately.
If it was from an unidentified location, I might wait to decide.
If it was never identified, I would utilize it in increments (hence, micro).
I would meet the demands of my family first. Second would be those in need. Third would be myself if I had anything left over (not likely).
No identification is how God works… anonymously. So if I happen to be the one to find it, it would be from him~
18. March 2009 at 9:29 pm :
I agree with Randy also. Having experience with special needs children into adulthood, I know they would give all but a penny away because they know more about true life than those subjected to the worldly impressions. They seem to work from the subconscious and in doing so would give their lives away for the greater good. The penny they would hold would be more for the memory of the experience rather than the value~
18. March 2009 at 11:19 pm :
This is what i would do if i found a bag full of cash
Words of a wise man: (Honesty It the best of policy)
First you must have the will power to overcome the temptation that you will be face with in a situation of this nature.
If i found a bag full of cash i would turn it over to the police because i was thought that you do good deeds, Good will always follow you.
With that said giving some of that money to people in needs. Was not exactly the right thing i would do, But i would do the same thing the police officer did.
My opinion.
Jamel
19. March 2009 at 3:21 am :
Jamel –
You’re the first to share a contrary view! It seems that many people feel “justified” to keep money that isn’t theirs if it is to support a “better” or more charitable cause…
Consider for a moment:
You dont turn over the money… you never notified the police… and consequently the drugs & scales were never compenscated by the law ( who knows who ends up finding the abandoned illegals ), and the drug dealer is never pursued by the police !!!
Lets remember: Science and Forensics are very clever these days! The police are able to target and identify drug dealers through little details left at a crime scene. By turning the money in, you may have significantly helped the police to target and put an end to a major drug dealer’s industry. So although you feel that your benefiting a better cause by keeping quiet and “giving back to the community” in your discretionary way… you may also be doing society a discourtesy by preventing authorities from putting crime behind bars!
Thanks Jamel…!
19. March 2009 at 6:00 am :
I read what both Jamal and April said and thought about it, tried to see which way that would change my thoughts. I’m sorry to report that I would still do the same thing.
On that level, I don’t turn my neighbors in when they have unregistered cars in their yards even though we are suppose to do that. Why? Well even though it’s illegal to have an unregistered car in your yard, many people simply do not have the funds to insure, tax, title and tag their car and have to save up come that time of year. Some have a parts car to fix their constantly breaking down car. They would be fined and also order to either document the car or remove it from their property. I refuse to bring a family to the possibility of not paying rent or utilities so I don’t report them.
I don’t report anyone who is on disability, veterans, or senior citizens benefits who gets a lottery ticket for the holidays and wins some money. They are suppose to report that, and we who find out about this are suppose to report it, but that money might just buy them a running car or new clothes for their kids that they couldn’t afford otherwise.
I know of many who turn the other way when minor laws are broken. In a day how many times do you see someone speed, run a red, leave a bar when you know they have had more than the legal limit, handed a cigarette to a minor, maybe let their 17 year old kid share a beer with dad. I’m sure we have all done it and have not reported these crimes.
We tend to pick and choose when it’s important for us to report things even though failure to report could lead to something worse, how often do we really think of the much larger issue?
When money is found and most adults know that a large amount like that usually means it belongs to a criminal, the immediate needs of your own and your family and folks you know about do seem to come into your head first…not the much larger issue. Just like not stopping to call in that person speeding cuz you didn’t want to be late for work..your need for money probably overruled the “right” thing to do…..but that speeder could have been running away from holding up an old lady 3 blocks back.
19. March 2009 at 6:26 am :
Sorry to say, if I knew then for a fact it was ditched by a drug offender chances are I’d hold onto that bag even tighter and distribute the funds among those I know could benefit from it.
19. March 2009 at 8:23 am :
So what would i do, in this case i think i would probably take the money to the police. But thinking that the Police is just going to release the money in the Monetary system again and a big portion of it will go back to the drug dealer i would say i would play Robin Hood in this case and give away the money to a poor family or buy them something i know they can use , because not all poor family are poor because of lack of money , some are poor because of the lazy Parents and Drug Addict parents, No matter how hard is the JOB , and if you determined that you want to pass the Hard period , a bit of discipline and holding back from spending money on Commodities like Smokes , Juice, and other things, can really help.
19. March 2009 at 12:59 pm :
Thanks for your comment David! By the way, interesting statement: “Police are just going to release the money in the Monetary system again and a big portion of it will go back to the drug dealer”
19. March 2009 at 1:03 pm :
Becky –
“if I knew then for a fact it was ditched by a drug offender chances are I’d hold onto that bag even tighter and distribute the funds among those I know could benefit from it.”
You’ve got a whole lotta boldness – (thats certainly the Robin Hood spirit) ! ! !
In your previous comment, you make a very strong case….!
19. March 2009 at 5:26 pm :
“The drug money was collected by police and now could very well be sitting somewhere idol in a vault.”
Above is an example of:
“If it was from an unidentified location, in which I might wait to decide.”
That would be wasteful and eventually it would be put back into the system where it would most likely be used for the wrong purposes. Had the drug dealer not have been convicted, he would get it back. And what about corrupt police? You are trusting every law body that has access to it before trial, then the transfer of it to the judicial body where politics are involved, then once convicted, it would be distributed to the “appropriate” place as labeled by the politics within the judicial system.
What would you do then? It’s not so simple.
But again, as I stated earlier, if it were stolen from a distinct location (i.e. a bank or store) it would be returned to that location. Only then would I trust it to get through the trial system and be returned unaltered.
Had I known there were other bags, I would have collected them as well and turned them in. I believe those items are better off in the judicial system, than with me ridding of them.
And if you want to be of even more help, wear gloves when you collect. That will really help the scene investigators when they send it to the labs~
20. March 2009 at 1:40 am :
“”the boy slipping generous portions into the pockets of other disadvantaged children “”
Awwwww..bless his heart!!
Drug money or not he did GOOD!! He made a ‘differance and b/c like everyone said if it was drug money it would have sat in a vault somewhere.
What he did was such a selfless act.. not to many teens would have done that…they wolld have been bee-lining it to the mall and Best Buy…and a car dealership.
20. March 2009 at 7:47 pm :
I remember when I was a teen. All I wanted money for was to give to my mom so should didn’t have to file bankruptcy~
20. March 2009 at 7:49 pm :
so “SHE” didn’t have to file bankruptcy. It’s been a long day~
26. March 2009 at 2:51 pm :
To be quite honest. I think I would have done the very same thing the boy had done.
What good is the money doing sitting in a vault…by the way…what happens to the seized monies?…where does it go? and who does it benefit?…..hummmmmmmmm