One generous and charitable act can mean a lot to others, more so if the beneficiary is someone without a home. This Christmas season, a group of 50 homeless people received an unforgettable treat from a wealthy Ohio developer. The benefactor, Joel Testa, is also a co-owner of a four-star restaurant in Akron who used donations given on his 42nd birthday to fund the cost of a four-course meal for the group. Testa requested his friends and followers to donate money on his birthday instead of presenting him with gifts.
Fine dining experience
Testa’s 50 special guests were reportedly accorded a fancy four-course meal that included potato leek soup, spinach quiche salad, braised beef short ribs. For dessert, a chocolate mousse serving was served for everyone. The diners had seconds during the meal and were given takeout bags from the leftovers. The host’s daughter helped out in his father’s project, along with a troop of friends who also knitted mufflers that they gave out to the homeless invitees.
Testa’s Christmas feeding program for the homeless is his way of helping in the fight against homelessness in Akron, Ohio. Reports say that he is also working on the construction of a 60-unit apartment building for veterans, homeless, disabled people. Testa said that people generally shun from the homeless as if they have contagious diseases like leprosy. He pointed out that homelessness is not a disease and that anyone can get into such state under certain circumstances.
Living condition
According to Community Support Services (CSS), a nonprofit organization, there are around 800 homeless people in Akron who hop from one shelter to another every night. Some of them usually seek shelter in homes of relatives and friends, asking to provide them sleeping space on couches. Testa said that the available shelters for homeless people are not enough to accommodate the number of individuals living on the streets. He also noted that some 355 more people cannot be provided with bed space in the shelters. Most of the fine dining homeless guests sleep in tents assembled in the woods or outside a public property.
Grateful for the treat
The homeless group expressed gratitude for the treat that they received for Christmas. Chris Matthews, a 28 year-old homeless individual said he appreciated the act of kindness provided to them. He recounted that he came to Akron because he wanted to live near his brother. He is currently searching for a job by scouring the Internet in the library everyday. Another diner, Marck Courtney, 56, has been in a homeless state for six years now and camps out in a tent with his dog. He said that having a decent meal such as the one accorded them was great although he never took offers of dog food for his mastiff.
Social problem
In the United States, homelessness is one of the social concerns for the government, social service providers and the society in general. A year ago, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that more than 600,000 people across the country are homeless. The figure has notably declined by 6.8% from the reported number of homeless people in 2007.
Photo Credit: Homeless person
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