Drivers Stunned When ‘Homeless’ Man Refuses Money, Wants to Give Them $50 Instead

“It’s better to give than to receive.” That’s what some motorists thought when coming to an intersection, seeing a homeless man there, and offering him some change. What they didn’t expect was that their kind gesture would so quickly result in a generous gift in return.

That’s the story behind a wildly popular video from Being Human. The man in the video, Tim Owens, a former director at a media company, decided that he would take his last paycheck, cash it, and then give it away one $50 bill at a time. To pull off this act of generosity, Owens hired a makeup crew to help him resemble a homeless person. With a filthy face and dirty, worn clothes, Owens went to a busy intersection with a cardboard sign saying, “It’s better to give than receive.” When drivers pulled up and rolled down their windows to offer him money, Owens flipped the script.

“No, you’re good dude. I’m actually here to give to you,” Owens said holding out a $50 bill to a truck driver. It stuns the driver in his tracks.

The video goes through a montage of incredulous drivers shocked that instead of giving to someone who they thought needed money, they instead were offered a generous gift in return. Owens was sending a message, giving back in a way that would help him “regain his soul,” he said in a Facebook post of the video, and rewarding their magnanimous spirit in the hopes that they too would pay it forward.

“We need to love each other and help where we can help … and lift each other up.”

That’s a message everyone can take to heart. Watch the full video below and SHARE Owens’ amazing story with your family and friends.