With over 550,000 homeless people said to live on the streets of the U.S., the problem has become a nationwide problem. One of the biggest issues that homeless people face is finding enough food for the day. Fortunately, for one homeless woman, a police officer was there to lend a helping hand.

Police Officer Michael Rivers

With the Goldsboro Police Department in North Carolina for over 9 years, Officer Michael Rivers has taken it upon himself to get to know the homeless population in his local area. And while he does not know every homeless person by name, he can identify many by their face.

Officer Rivers spots a homeless woman on the side of the road

One day while on duty, Officer Rivers saw a new face along the side of the road, a homeless woman who he had never seen before. But it was her shirt that really caught his eye. Written across the white t-shirt were the words, “Homeless. The fastest way of becoming a nobody.”

As he looked out his open window, he made eye contact with the woman. Acknowledging each other with a simple, “Hey, Rivers started to drive away. For some reason, he felt an urge to return to her, and so he turned around.

“God put it on my heart to get her lunch. So, I turned around and I asked her, ‘Hey, did you eat today?’ And she said, ‘No,’” Rivers told CNN.

Officer Rivers shared some food and his lunch break with the homeless woman

And with that, Rivers was off to buy both of them some lunch, one pepperoni and one cheese pizza from a nearby pizza place. After returning with the pizzas in hand, he sat down beside her to share a meal with her. And while Rivers loves pizza, it was the talk the two had while enjoying it that meant the most to him.

Posting a photo of the act of kindness on Facebook

Learning that her name was Michelle, Rivers recounts how they shared each other’s life stories over the next 45 minutes. Cassie Barnes was also nearby and captured a photo of the two sharing a pizza. Her husband Chris posted the photo online with a comment.

“Cassie was out on her lunch break and observed Goldsboro’s Finest enjoying lunch with a homeless person. Law enforcement does so much for our community, with a lot of it going unnoticed. We see you Goldsboro P.D. Keep up the good work.”

Receiving letters in the mail

In addition to many positive comments online, Officer Rivera also received letters in the mail from grateful citizens, thanking him for his dedication to the community.

“Letters that were sent to me today in reference to the Facebook post by Cassie Lea Parker and CNN. A lot of people have been reaching out and it’s so amazing to see what one picture has done. #spreadthelove”

Serving the community

Law enforcement agencies across the country are filled with caring individuals, just like Officer Rivers. In many cases, public servants are willing and ready to lend a helping hand, or, as in Rivers case, a listening ear.

To learn more about this heartwarming story, check out the following video.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Sources: YouTube – Amazing Story Today, Facebook – Chris Barnes, CNN