“Not everyone gets a second chance. If you do get one, take advantage of it because it’s a gift, and it may be something better than you had before!” -Nishan Panwar

It’s true. Not everyone will have the gift of a second chance. For Marcus, being homeless for 16 years meant that he no longer expected to receive one.

It was 2016, and Marcus was strolling in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was one of his usual routes when he begs for money. He then saw Cesia, a 25-year-old woman who owns a Café in the area.

He went to her to ask for some money.

“Why don’t you have a job? You know nothing is given to me for free, right,” Cesia said to Marcus. She wanted to know what happened to him and why he was homeless.

It was then that the man looked down. He explained what happened to his life. He became honest and told Cesia that when he was a teen, he had many felonies.

His records didn’t allow him to get any jobs because people weren’t trusting enough to give him another chance to prove himself. Marcus didn’t have any choice; he lived in the streets and survived by begging and sometimes, even stealing.

Touched by his honesty, Cesia asked him:

“You want a job? Then I have one for you,” Abigail told Marcus.

Cesia also had trials with her business. She was also trying her best to make everything work, but her heart couldn’t let this man starve. She wanted to help him get a fresh start.

The homeless man’s eyes opened wide! Cesia saw a wide smile on his face as he said yes!

‘I’ll do anything for some food,’” Marcus said excitedly.

Cesia handed Marcus a sandwich so he would have the strength before he started working. She saw how the man ate only half of the sandwich, and then he wrapped the other half and went out.

He ran towards another homeless woman and handed half of the sandwich to her.

What she saw really touched her heart. She knew she made the right decision. Marcus deserved his second chance, and he didn’t disappoint his newfound friend and boss.

Every day, Marcus showed up on time for his two-hour shift. He would help the other workers take out the trash and wash some of the dishes. According to Cesia, she could only afford to give him a two-hour shift.

That didn’t matter to Marcus. He was happy and grateful for this chance.

The first thing that Marcus did when he got paid was to buy a meal from Cesia’s café. Of course, he paid for his food and said that it made him feel happy.

“Do something nice for someone today and don’t judge them just because they out there asking for money for we don’t know their situation… some deserve another shot,” Cesia said in her viral Facebook post.

The sad reality is that some people would avoid and even mistreat homeless people just because of their situation. Come to think of it, do we even know what happened to them?

Each one has a story to tell; each one has their battle to fight. If we can’t afford to help them, at least; let us not judge them.

This story teaches us not to judge but rather help people in need. Sometimes, all they need is a second chance and someone who will believe in them again.

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Source: Abi’s Cafe, Abis MN, CBS News