What do you do when you see a homeless person? Be honest.
Do you try to avert your eyes and pretend you don't see them, or do you approach them and offer assistance?
20-year-old Mariah Smith had to make a similar decision when she was 17. She saw a homeless man in the parking lot as she was getting into her car. He was shivering and coughing, and seemed incredibly distraught. Mariah knew what it was like to be forgotten and ignored.
She was born on Christmas eve and promptly abandoned by her birth parents. She had no place to call her home until she was adopted at age two.
Mariah brought the homeless man a blanket and some food she had just purchased. As she told NBC News, "The look in his eyes when I wrapped that blanket around him haunts me to this day. The look of desperation and appreciation all at once. Tears were running down his face."
That chance encounter changed Mariah's life forever…
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h/t: NBC News
Mariah was so moved by how her one act of kindness changed the life of one homeless man, that she decided to found the non-profit organization Blankets for the Homeless. The organization gathers gently used blankets and food to distribute to the homeless in her town of Hampton, Virginia.
Mariah says, “They’re outside honestly living a nightmare. And if I can do something to make it a little better, that motivation will never go away.”
She's known around town as "The Blanket Girl."
She has asked her entire community to get involved. She speaks at churches, schools, and at organizations like the girl scouts to encourage them to get involved, too.
She hopes for her efforts in Virginia will eventually become a national movement.
One thing she suggests that anyone can do is to keep a "blessings box" in their car. Fill it with blankets, non-perishable items, and coats. This way, you have an inexpensive but incredibly powerful gift ready should you encounter someone who needs it.
During the Christmas season, she was especially busy handing out gifts, saying, “I just want everyone to start to think about the homeless more, and maybe themselves a little bit less especially in this time of year."
While she studies psychology at Regents University, she dedicates her free time to her charity. She wakes up at 5 a.m. and finishes around 9:30 p.m.
Three years after she started, Mariah has given away approximately 800,000 blankets and lunches.
Mariah relies on her community to help. She has this message on her website: "We welcome everyone who wants to help us, there are so many different things that you can do to get the people around you involved, adults can go to their places of employment a
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