The Woohoo! Report

Boston Homeless Book Club Draws on Common Interests to Bring People Together

By Steve Hartman

CBS) They met on Boston Common – two men with little in common. One a well-heeled, high-powered attorney, the other a street-schooled, often ignored homeless person.

Rob slept on a sidewalk. Peter had a swank condo in the Back Bay. But every morning they would cross paths here in the park and over the course of several months, actually became good friends, reports CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman.

How did that happen? Such contrasting men, living such disparate lives. You’d think after the weather and box scores they’d run out of things to talk about. And indeed, they did run out.

“So I gave Robert a copy of a book I really loved called ‘Water for Elephants’ and we would talk about that,” Peter said.

Discussing the book became their way of connecting, and a friendship was born.

“And then one day I asked him, ‘What’d you do with the book?’ and he said, ‘I gave it to a fella over there,’” Peter said.

“I knew there were a lot of people who read,” Rob said.

“So it occurred to us that there was an interest out here that could draw people together,” Peter said.

“You’d be surprised by how many people actually read,” Rob said.

About a year ago, Peter and Ron started the Homeless Book Club. The week CBS News visited, the group was dissecting a group of short stories by O’Henry. They meet every Tuesday in a church conference room. Peter buys the books. In the beginning he offered to bring in lunch too, but the members said “no thanks.” They wanted this to be about more than just another free lunch.

“For me it’s a place to go and escape,” said Donald, a member.

“And to question things,” said Betsey, another member.

“Yeah, I feel more sophisticated,” said Jamie, a member, laughing.

Unlike the others, Jamie, who lives in a rooming house, says he never used to be a reader. His addictions were the priority.

“I picked up the first book and started reading it and I couldn’t put it down,” Jamie said.

Addicted still, only now, to literature.

“If I keep reading, and keeping my mind occupied, I’m less likely to hurt myself in life,” Jamie said.

Testimonials like that are now inspiring other people in other cities, even other countries, to start putting together their own homeless book clubs.

And as for the homeless man who started it all – Rob – turns out, the only reason he couldn’t get subsidized housing was because he had an unresolved moving violation on his record. Fortunately, he knows a good lawyer.

Peter was able to clear up that traffic ticket, which is why tonight Rob is no longer on the streets. He’s housed and working as a church custodian.

Go to the CBS website to check out the video

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By Lisa Fernandez

lfernandez@mercurynews.com

A lost wallet. A generous offer. A random comment on Facebook.

This odd recipe sparked at a Trader Joe’s checkout counter has yielded an unusual outpouring of donations totaling more than $2,000 to feed the hungry in Silicon Valley. And an energized group of virtual — and real — friends say this viral story highlights the best in human kindness magnified through the hyper-power of social networking.

“I was blown away at how incredibly fast others had thrown their hat in the ring,” said Carolee Hazard, 43, of Menlo Park — the good Samaritan who started the good-karma phenomenon. “It’s been incredible to see this grow and how excited people are getting. I have told the story to my friends and they say it gives them goose bumps.”

What led to the goose bumps all began Aug. 11, when hypnotherapist Jenni Ware, 45, of Redwood City, realized she lost her wallet while standing in line at Trader Joe’s in Menlo Park. Her cart was packed with groceries. And she had no way to pay for it.

Waiting in line behind the frazzled shopper was Hazard, a retired Genentech biochemist and environmental activist, who had her daughters Makenzie, 9, and Jessica, 7, in tow.

“She was clearly in distress,” Hazard said.

And without thinking much about it, she charged the stranger’s bill — $207.29 — on her own credit card.

“I was at a low point that day,” Ware said. “I couldn’t believe it. It was a miracle. But I
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reluctantly accepted it. I knew I was going to pay her back.”

Being kind to strangers isn’t new for Hazard. Her husband, Jon, a senior manager of engineering operations at Google, said his wife sometimes pays strangers’ bridge tolls, just to see their surprised faces in her rearview mirror.

What would you do?

Hazard is also the glue in her neighborhood, both in person and with her Facebook community. When she returned from Trader Joe’s that day, she posted her vacillation on whether to feel “very good” about what she had done to feeling “very, very stupid.”

Later that same day, Ware retraced her steps and discovered her wallet at Draeger’s Markets. She wrote her grocery store “angel” a check for $300. She suggested her benefactress treat herself to a massage with the leftover cash.

Hazard thought to simply return the extra $93. Before she did, though, she turned to Facebook again. She asked her online community: What would you do?

Within moments, friends suggested she donate the surplus to a charity, and they mentioned several. But the one that seemed perfect for this occasion, since it began in a grocery store, was Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Hazard loved the idea and matched Ware’s original $93 with her own. Then another friend said he’d pitch in $93. And so on. Even 8-year-old Maddie Campbell, whose mother learned of the story on Facebook, walked over to Hazard’s house with her parents’ $93 check. She also brought along her own 93 cents.

Food banks benefit

As of Tuesday afternoon, Hazard said she had $1,309.90 in her hand and almost $1,000 more in pledges. Ware’s friends are now sending in money. And some out-of-state friends vow to donate $93 of their own to their local food banks.

Second Harvest executives couldn’t be more thrilled.

“It’s just amazing,” said spokeswoman Lynn Crocker. “The money is very significant. But on a personal level, to be so generous to a stranger, and the stranger reciprocates, it just warms my heart. It shows me that the majority of people are decent and kind and loving.”

Ware and Hazard are no longer strangers. They’ve become Facebook friends and they’ve made a real-world connection that will likely stay with them the rest of their lives. Ware remembers that she was at a “spiritual low” that day in the grocery store, and Hazard’s “tap on the shoulder” reminded her of God and good people.

“My faith in humanity is just huge,” Ware said. “It’s just a reminder that there are these amazingly awesome people out there. And it also reminds me of how good I want to be.”

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