One Simple, Good Deed Can Go A Long Way~ by Julia McEllen
         
          When scrolling through article after article to find the right one, I came across a touching story that I felt was worth sharing. Around this time of year, our Pass It Along group, called Serice Corps- which I am a part of, organizes and participates in an event called Box City. It is a day where we all get together and have speakers come to raise awareness about homelessness. We do many activities and by the end of the night, we all sleep in boxes to put ourselves in the shoes of those who are homeless. It is a very impactful and emotional night, and when I saw this article I figured it was a perfect correlation. The planning for Box City is right around the corner so it also fits perfectly with the current event theme of this blog post.

          The article, published on March 27, 2019, is about a man, Franklin Goden, who came across a homeless man, Erwin Dean, and decided to help him. Participating in Box City gave me an intense inside look into what it feels to be homeless and it was hard enough for one night, so I truly feel compassion for those who are homeless in reality. I would do anything in my power to help someone in a state like Erwin Dean, and considering the article, Goden would and did do the same.
          After discovering Dean, Goden gave him food, new clothes, and a haircut. He describes his intention as trying to help Dean clean and pick himself up in hopes of then reuniting him with his family. Goden took him to the mall and bought him food and some new clothes. Erwin Dean's transformation was incredible. He was so happy to have been helped by such a kind and thoughtful person.

         


 This also reminded me of our unit in English this marking period. We read Frankenstein which touched upon many of the problems in our society. It revealed the stereotypical views and rejections caused by society, through the eyes and experiences of the monster, who was discriminated for the way he looked. Many people, seeing Erwin Dean, would stereotype him as a drug addict or an alcoholic and look the other way, just because he is homeless. This is how society acts toward people. This is how society discriminates against people who are different.

           But this article shows that not all society possess the badness shown in Frankenstein. There are people like Goden who truly have goodness in their hearts and help the people who most need it. Those who have nobody to turn to. Like the monster, Dean was in a very similar situation. He was pushed to the outskirts of society and left without a family to turn to. But Goden was determined to clean Dean up and reunite him with the family in which he had lost connection.
          Ultimately, Goden transformed Dean into a "new man", giving him a fresh, second start to life. Goden even posted his good deed online in hopes of having Erwin Dean's family recognize and reconnect with him. And this is exactly what happened. Dean was reunited with his family and would never forget the man who saved and transformed his life with just one good deed.
                                                                                
         
           This story was truly a great reminder of the good that exists in society. After reading Frankenstein, this was a very uplifting story to reveal that there are really people out there who will pick those up who are struggling at their lowest point in life, despite the stereotypes that they fall under. It also helped me reflect on the service project, Box City, that I participate in and made me feel proud and thankful for the opportunity to be involved in making a change in people's lives. It is nice to know that by raising awareness and participating in so many incredible service projects with so many incredible people to better the community, I too am making a difference with my Pass It Along group. I also think Goden's good deeds send a really important message to people that even something as small as offering a homeless person money, food, or even a haircut can completely change the course of a person's life for the better. This story is definitely something inspirational that will stick with me for a long time.