5-Year-Old's Instinct To Help Someone Hungry Has Touched The Entire Internet

The story of a child’s instinct to help a hungry homeless man is going viral today. The child saw a man so many would dismiss as invisible, reminding all of us just how easy it is to make a small effort to help someone in need.

Five-year-old Josiah Duncan was at a Waffle House a few weeks ago when he saw a hungry homeless man sitting at a table. Troubled by his unkempt appearance, he asked his mom why he looked that way. His mom explained the man was homeless. “What does that mean?” he questioned.

His mom, Ava Faulk, explained it meant that he had no home. Josiah couldn’t wrap his mind around that idea. Faulk says Josiah began peppering her with more questions: “Where is his house? Where is his family? Where does he keep his groceries?” Faulk told WSFA News that what disturbed him most of all was that the man didn’t have any food. He insisted they buy him a meal.

Since no one had acknowledged the homeless man, Josiah brought him a menu and asked him what he wanted. Faulk bought the man a burger, and before he ate it Josiah asked if he could say a blessing:

“God our Father, God our Father, we thank you, we thank you, for our many blessings, for our many blessings, Amen, Amen.”

“The man cried. I cried. Everybody cried,” Faulk admitted.

You don’t have to be religious to recognize the beauty of this. There are times when you just default to thinking,”There’s no way I could help everyone I saw who needed it.” It becomes easier and easier to convince yourself that you can’t make a difference. This story is going viral because it reminds us that we can make a small difference, so many times a day. By actually seeing someone in need and responding.

Feeding America can help you find your local food bank if you’d like to donate in your area.

Faulk must be a really proud mom.

Related post: I Used To Volunteer At A Food Pantry, Now We Eat There