Cesia Abigail, a Minneapolis cafe owner, responded to a homeless man’s attempt to beg her patrons for money by offering him a temporary job.
After watching the homeless man, named Marcus, accost her costumers, Abigail asked him, “Why don’t you have a job? You know nothing is given to me for free, right?”
Marcus explained that his criminal record had rendered him unemployable.
“Well, I have a lot of felonies and no one wants to hire me for that, so now I had to turn myself to the streets and get money the only way I know. Stealing and asking for money,” Marcus said.
Abigail responded to Marcus by offering him a temporary job in her cafe.
Abigail posted the heartwarming story on Facebook, where it has garnered nearly a half-million views in just under one week.
Marcus told Abigail that he’d “do anything for food.” And after two weeks of putting in hard work, two hours a day at the cafe, dumping trash, and washing dirty dishes, Marcus accepted a permanent part-time position at Abi’s Cafe.
Abigail said her cafe has seen a significant increase in business since she posted Marcus’s story online.
For the past few days the cafe have been very busy, with more people walking in. I would like for anyone that comes in…
Posted by Abi’s Cafe on Tuesday, March 29, 2016
As for Marcus, Abigail said he uses some of the money he has earned to buy food at his new place of employment.
“Once I pay him guess what he does? He buys food from my restaurant(HE DECIDES TO PAY) because it makes him feel good!” she wrote in a Facebook post. “He gets a discount!!!!!”
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter: @jeromeehudson.