Dave Talley a homeless man living in Tempe AZ found a backpack in a light rail station in Tempe this week with $3,300 in cash and no ID, a GODSEND to any homeless person, but luckily enough for Bryan Belanger an ASU student Talley is no ordinary displaced person.
This is from The Arizona Republic:
When Dave Talley, a Tempe homeless man, found a backpack this month at the light-rail station near Rural Road and University Drive, his first thought was to look through the bag for the owner's identification or contact information. Instead, he found an envelope containing about $3,300 in cash.
The temptation to keep the money was almost overwhelming, he said. Then, his conscience kicked in.
"The reality set in that it wasn't my money and it needed to be turned over," he said.
There are countless things a man like Talley could have done with the money. A recovering drug addict, Talley lives in a system of shelters run by the Tempe Community Action Agency. He's trying to get back on his feet, juggling volunteering at the agency with part-time work.
That weekend, his bicycle - his only mode of transportation - needed to be fixed, a major expense.
"I could've done a lot of things with the money," he said, "but none of them would've been right."
Talley called TCAA employee Sam Sumner, who told him to bring it to the agency's offices - they'd get in contact with the police and look through the bag for clues about its owner.
The bag contained no wallet or ID, but later that week, Sumner found a small flash drive containing the resume of ASU student Bryan Belanger, the bag's owner.
"It's humbling, and it puts things into perspective," Belanger said of Talley's decision. "From his point of view, he could've taken care of himself by paying for rent or something with that money."
It was a stroke of luck for Belanger. He'd wrecked his car in an accident last month and needed money for a new one. He took out the money after finding a few possible listings on CraigsList.
Luckily, the office where he works part time is in Mesa, close to the light-rail line. On the morning he lost the money, he was waiting for the train to arrive. He set his bag down on an adjacent seat. It was early, the station was deserted and Belanger took out his phone to fight off boredom.
"I had my bike with me, and I was using my phone, so my hands were full," he said. "I didn't even see (the bag) when I got up."
Belanger reported the missing bag to the police, but the outlook for finding it wasn't promising. He was told surveillance footage showed two people taking the bag from the station, but the footage wasn't clear enough to provide any leads.
A few days later, he got the call from Sumner. When he went to TCAA to pick it up, he found, as he said, "not a dollar was missing."
Turnabout's fair play of course and an outpouring of generosity has been heaped upon Dave Talley.......
From KSAZ FOX 10:
Homeless Man Showered with Generosity after Good Deed
TEMPE - Dave Talley's life has been turned upside down in the past 48 hours, all for doing the right thing. The homeless man found a backpack with $3,300 in it, but he turned it in and the rightful owner was found.
Even though he needed the money more than most people, honesty landed him on our newscast, and his story is hitting the national media Friday. But fame isn't the only result of his actions. He's also received an outpouring of generosity and support.
Talley has received offers of new bikes to a Thanksgiving dinner, and a job may be in his future too.
"When I handed the backpack over I thought that was it, it was a done deal," says Talley. He was more than happy with the reward he got when he returned the backpack to ASU senior Bryan Belanger. He never expected the story to take off.
"Over all it has just been awesome... I am just overwhelmed how people have reacted to all this."
Talley has gotten a few solid job leads, and donations have poured in.
"A man walked into the church and asked for me directly and I was given an envelope with a very nice cash donation in it," he says.
For the past few years, Talley has been staying in shelters run by the Tempe Community Action Agency. Since yesterday, calls have come in non-stop.
The group's website has never been busier. People are donating online and since the story is still picking up steam, the organization doesn't expect it to slow down.
"People have been offering everything. Money gifts to Dave. To a dentist wanting to offer free dental, to a woman offering Thanksgiving dinner with her family," says Beth Florenza with TCAA.
Now Talley will be following up on those job leads as soon as possible.
Because the response has been so overwhelming, the TCAA is handling all the calls and donations for Talley.
Just google Dave Talley to read up some more if you like and of course to find several video links. A pretty good story with Thanksgiving just around the corner & a refreshing boost in the confidence of mankind's obligation to take care of our brothers and sisters by doing the right thing.......
This is from The Arizona Republic:
When Dave Talley, a Tempe homeless man, found a backpack this month at the light-rail station near Rural Road and University Drive, his first thought was to look through the bag for the owner's identification or contact information. Instead, he found an envelope containing about $3,300 in cash.
The temptation to keep the money was almost overwhelming, he said. Then, his conscience kicked in.
"The reality set in that it wasn't my money and it needed to be turned over," he said.
There are countless things a man like Talley could have done with the money. A recovering drug addict, Talley lives in a system of shelters run by the Tempe Community Action Agency. He's trying to get back on his feet, juggling volunteering at the agency with part-time work.
That weekend, his bicycle - his only mode of transportation - needed to be fixed, a major expense.
"I could've done a lot of things with the money," he said, "but none of them would've been right."
Talley called TCAA employee Sam Sumner, who told him to bring it to the agency's offices - they'd get in contact with the police and look through the bag for clues about its owner.
The bag contained no wallet or ID, but later that week, Sumner found a small flash drive containing the resume of ASU student Bryan Belanger, the bag's owner.
"It's humbling, and it puts things into perspective," Belanger said of Talley's decision. "From his point of view, he could've taken care of himself by paying for rent or something with that money."
It was a stroke of luck for Belanger. He'd wrecked his car in an accident last month and needed money for a new one. He took out the money after finding a few possible listings on CraigsList.
Luckily, the office where he works part time is in Mesa, close to the light-rail line. On the morning he lost the money, he was waiting for the train to arrive. He set his bag down on an adjacent seat. It was early, the station was deserted and Belanger took out his phone to fight off boredom.
"I had my bike with me, and I was using my phone, so my hands were full," he said. "I didn't even see (the bag) when I got up."
Belanger reported the missing bag to the police, but the outlook for finding it wasn't promising. He was told surveillance footage showed two people taking the bag from the station, but the footage wasn't clear enough to provide any leads.
A few days later, he got the call from Sumner. When he went to TCAA to pick it up, he found, as he said, "not a dollar was missing."
Turnabout's fair play of course and an outpouring of generosity has been heaped upon Dave Talley.......
From KSAZ FOX 10:
Homeless Man Showered with Generosity after Good Deed
TEMPE - Dave Talley's life has been turned upside down in the past 48 hours, all for doing the right thing. The homeless man found a backpack with $3,300 in it, but he turned it in and the rightful owner was found.
Even though he needed the money more than most people, honesty landed him on our newscast, and his story is hitting the national media Friday. But fame isn't the only result of his actions. He's also received an outpouring of generosity and support.
Talley has received offers of new bikes to a Thanksgiving dinner, and a job may be in his future too.
"When I handed the backpack over I thought that was it, it was a done deal," says Talley. He was more than happy with the reward he got when he returned the backpack to ASU senior Bryan Belanger. He never expected the story to take off.
"Over all it has just been awesome... I am just overwhelmed how people have reacted to all this."
Talley has gotten a few solid job leads, and donations have poured in.
"A man walked into the church and asked for me directly and I was given an envelope with a very nice cash donation in it," he says.
For the past few years, Talley has been staying in shelters run by the Tempe Community Action Agency. Since yesterday, calls have come in non-stop.
The group's website has never been busier. People are donating online and since the story is still picking up steam, the organization doesn't expect it to slow down.
"People have been offering everything. Money gifts to Dave. To a dentist wanting to offer free dental, to a woman offering Thanksgiving dinner with her family," says Beth Florenza with TCAA.
Now Talley will be following up on those job leads as soon as possible.
Because the response has been so overwhelming, the TCAA is handling all the calls and donations for Talley.
Just google Dave Talley to read up some more if you like and of course to find several video links. A pretty good story with Thanksgiving just around the corner & a refreshing boost in the confidence of mankind's obligation to take care of our brothers and sisters by doing the right thing.......
Thanks for posting.
