In November of last year, Elmer Alvarez was homeless when he found a $10,000 check laying on the ground. He read that the check was made out to prominent real estate agent Roberta Hoskie.

While many people would pocket the check for themselves, especially if they were homeless, Elmer decided to do the right thing. One year later, his good deed has paid off for him in a big way.

Elmer went about tracking Roberta down so that he could return the check to her. When he finally found her, Roberta was incredibly touched by what he had done. She could relate to Elmer’s struggles because, like him, she had been homeless at one point.

Not only did Roberta give Elmer a cash reward for returning the check, she also offered him free entrance into her real estate school. This included all the courses and English language classes he’d need to become a real estate agent.

One year later, Elmer’s life has changed dramatically! These days, he is no longer homeless and he sits on the Board of Directors for Roberta’s Outreach Foundation, a non-profit organization. Together, Elmer and Roberta are hoping to give back and help other people who are struggling in life.

“Together, we are working to create opportunities and solutions for people who are facing homelessness right now,” Roberta said.

“I feel good, I feel great and I just want to keep helping others,” Elmer added. “There was a purpose behind that check like Roberta says, I believe there’s more to it.”

This just goes to show how one good deed can change someone’s life forever!