Ever wonder what a homeless person does with the money you give them?
YouTube prankster Josh Paler Lin decided to find out, donating to one and then secretly following him in a video titled, "How Does a Homeless Man Spend $100."
The results? More surprising and heartwarming than he ever imagined …
Lin’s YouTube pranks have earned him a loyal following, and he set out with humorous intentions here as well, totally unaware of how this would play out.
"I’m gonna give a homeless guy $100," he tells the camera. "I’m gonna follow him, and see how he spent it." Lin then walks up to a man and does just that.
The California man, Thomas, is humbled and appreciative of the gift.
Lin then secretly films Thomas walking away with his bag of belongings and hitting up a liquor store. But it’s not for the reason you probably assume.
Moments later, Thomas walks out with several bags of goods, and he walks off to a local park, where he is seen handing out chips and pies to others.
"Happy holidays, you guys," Thomas says to the families he sees.
Watching this, Lin decides to come clean. He walks over to Thomas, points to his camera, and says: "I owe you an apology. You went to a liquor store earlier…"
Thomas responds by telling Lin how he ended up homeless.
"Basically, I was living with my parents and my stepdad had cancer. They were getting hospice but it didn’t cover. The insurance only pays so much."
"I quit work because I had to be available,” he says. "The building they were in is being sold … the condo … and I all of a sudden found myself homeless."
"There’s a lot of people who are victims of circumstance."
Lin also set up an Indiegogo fundraising page to "Help Thomas Get a Fresh Start!" The crowd funding page is already well ahead of its stated goal.
Now there’s a holiday story worth celebrating.