Randi Emmans-Bailyn and her boyfriend, John Suazo, always help people in need, but they went above and beyond by helping a homeless man reunite with his estranged family.
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Randi had met Pedro (aka Franklin) in a random occurrence:
I had been outside walking my dog when I overheard Pedro saying, ‘Why do people just stand and look at me or laugh at me? I’m an extremely educated man. Say hello to me. Do not ignore me and give me these looks.’ I was so touched by what he was saying, and it absolutely broke my heart.
I run a program for those experiencing homelessness during the holidays and knew I wanted to help Pedro in some way. I came upstairs to my boyfriend, John, and told him how touched I was by what Pedro was saying.
The duo decided to go back out and bring Pedro a backpack full of food, water, and socks from their charity, Project Backpacks. He relayed his story of homelessness and how tired of it he was—all he longed to do was go home.
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He had no information about his family, but he did remember his grandmother’s address. With their help, he finally found his Uncle Pierre, who was ecstatic to talk to his nephew. He vowed to fly out to where Pedro was and bring him home to his cousins, his mother, and multiple aunts.
In the meantime, Randi and John put Pedro in a hotel and raised $6500 to get him home. When the day came, it was emotional for everyone, including Randi and her boyfriend.
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Pedro, his family, and his newfound friends had dinner together.
The couple witnessed the family’s close interaction with him, and it looked like the decades apart just melted away.
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Pedro is now home and happy. Randi and John have vowed to visit him, and have made a friend for life.
Have you helped someone in need?
Let us know in the comments below!
