NC Church Gets 'Simple but Powerful' Gift: 18 Cents

Anonymous homeless man's gesture touches officials
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted May 1, 2015 11:38 AM CDT
NC Church Gets 'Simple but Powerful' Gift: 18 Cents
The note, left at a North Carolina church.   (Facebook)

The note was as simple as the five coins that accompanied it: "Please don't be mad I don't have much. I'm homeless. God bless." Rather than anger officials at First United Methodist Church in Charlotte, NC, the words scribbled on the back of an envelope containing a dime, a nickel, and three pennies, dropped in an offering plate on Sunday, deeply moved Pastor Patrick Hamrick, who shared a photo of the note on Facebook. "When I saw the note, I just wanted to assure the giver that every gift and every giver is important," he tells CNN. "Simple but powerful. I think this represents a sacrificial gift," he adds. "I felt deep gratitude because it is likely that this individual reached into his or her pocket and gave everything."

Hamrick said the church wouldn't seek out the individual but it would be "amazing" if the giver came forward "because I have a feeling, there's been enough groundswell of support that this person could probably get some additional assistance." When the man phoned the pastor up from a soup kitchen, however, he chose to remain anonymous, WCNC reports. "He's asked me to keep it between me, God, and the church," Hamrick tells ABC News. "He's not upset about it, he just feels that he wants to be private." Hamrick says the donor is likely among the church's 150 homeless neighbors who attended a free breakfast at the church before one of two Sunday services. His 18 cents will help fund the church's next free breakfast this week. (More uplifting news stories.)

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