Woman Uses Lottery Winnings to Buy Homeless Man a Motel Room

Most people spend their lottery winnings on frivolous items they don’t really need, but one woman from Wareham, Massachusetts, is inspiring others to be generous instead.

Sofia Andrade spent the last two dollars she had in her pocket on a lotto ticket, and won. Even though the winnings were only $200, she decided to spend it on a man she found panhandling in the blistering cold.

Glenn Williams has been homeless for three years, according to WCVB. His luck changed when he met Andrade.

Andrade was driving when she spotted Williams standing in the bitter cold in the Northeast this past weekend. She called him over and together they drove to get a cup of coffee.

“I knew that the money never really belonged to me,” Andrade told WCVB. “This money was meant to help him.”

She said Williams was “so overwhelmed by just the generosity of a coffee that he just couldn’t stop crying.”

As Andrade talked to Williams, she learned that all the homeless shelters were full and so decided to book Williams a room at a motel near her.

“I couldn’t believe there’s somebody like her,” Williams told WCVB. “She deserves a lot of the credit for where I am right now.”

The story went viral after Andrade posted it on social media, hoping to raise awareness and influence others to perform kind acts. She also made a GoFundMe page for Williams to help him with future needs.

Since then, many people in the community have come forward to help Williams. A local barber gave him a haircut and others donated winter clothes. A child even made him a Valentine’s Day card that read, “Know that you are loved this Valentine’s Day.”

“There’s a lot of good people in this world,” Williams said. “I’m overwhelmed with all the help, and I just want to thank everybody.”