An act of kindness can go a long way. Phil (whose last name is being withheld by authorities for privacy) is a homeless man from Tallahassee, Florida, who learned that lesson firsthand thanks to the generous actions of local police officer, Tony Carlson.
On Saturday, July 21, Phil was sitting inside a local McDonald’s when he overheard job recruiter Judy McLennan discussing other employees who found work at the fast food chain while living on the streets.
According to Today, Phil then made it clear he was interested in an employment opportunity at the McDonald’s but McLennan suggested he cut his beard before coming in for an interview.
Determined to get the job, Phil acquired a second-hand razor and began shaving his beard in a gas station parking lot next door to the restaurant. That’s where he caught the eye of officer Carlson, who could see Phil was having trouble shaving on his own beard with a partially broken razor.
“He’s trying to start shaving and he didn’t have a mirror, couldn’t see what he was doing, it was not going well,” Carlson explained in a video shared on the City of Tallahassee Police Department’s Facebook page, adding that he then shaved Phil’s beard himself once he realized it was for a job interview.
“If he’s wanting to help himself, I need to try and help him as best I can,” Carlson added. “He was excited that there was a chance he was going to get the chance to get a job if he just did this single thing. I just wish I could have done more.”
In a statement to Us Weekly, Raphael Vasquez, who owns and operates the restaurant location where Phil eventually interviewed said, “We are always looking to hire those who go the extra mile at my restaurants and this gentleman has proven himself to be willing to do just that.”
Since Phil needed some form of government identification and a social security card in order to formally apply for the job, Carlson helped him secure that, too. In fact, the duo have an appointment on Thursday, July 26, at a local homeless shelter to assist processing Phil’s identification documents.
Today reports that after Phil secures the proper identification, he will be able to start performing janitorial work at Mcdonald’s with absolute “room for growth.”
What’s more? If Phil stays with the company for at least 90 days and works 15 hours a week, he will qualify for McDonald’s Archways to Opportunities program, which would make him eligible to receive $2,500 to earn a high school diploma, get college tuition reimbursement, or learn a second language.
