On Monday, an employee with Republic Waste Operations in Huntsville, Alabama, was able to save a life after realizing a man had been sleeping in the dumpster he’d just picked up.
Republic Services Operations Manager Chuck Cantrell said the driver wanted to remain anonymous, but quickly shut down the truck and helped the homeless man out.
After getting him away from the trash compactor, the driver called his supervisor and they worked to help the man above and beyond saving his life.
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“He saw the individual in his — we call it a hopper camera — go into the hopper, and he immediately stopped all aspects of the truck operation,” Cantrell said, according to WAAY 31.
“Because of this, our driver was able to save this man’s life,” Cantrell continued, according to 1819 News. “It is important to look after one another, especially those less fortunate.”
First, they helped the homeless man warm up.
“When they got there, they said he was very cold, so they put him inside of our pickup truck, got him warm,” Cantrell said.
Then Cantrell felt a nudge to do even more and headed to the nearest Walmart.
“Something told me to go there and pick up some stuff for the gentleman,” he said.
Cantrell didn’t just pick up some shoes and a t-shirt, and called it a day. He truly went above and beyond for a complete stranger.
“I bought a pair of boots, some long johns, a nice down jacket, a hoodie, some extra pairs of socks,” the sanitation worker noted.
The story of spur-of-the-moment rescue and kindness might have gone unrecognized by any but those directly involved, except that the business where the dumpster was located thought the story should be shared.
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They contacted WAAY 31 and provided the details along with screenshots of the whole incident.
Game is wrapping up! Coming up at 10 on @WAAYTV– a homeless man found in a dumpster this morning helped by Republic Services workers. They bought him items to help keep him warm and made sure he knew of resources in the community by guiding him there. Heartwarming story.
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— Brittany Harry WAAY 31 (@BrittanyHarryTV) December 20, 2022
“In the world in which we live today, you don’t hear enough people doing the good things,” Cantrell said. “We always hear the bad news. And It’s just something that we do here at our business unit.
“It’s something that I have been taught over the years by my parents: When you have something to give, give it.”
The homeless man was reportedly very grateful for the assistance and was later seen at the Downtown Rescue Mission.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
