Lawrence Chappell was homeless for 94 days. He spent the entirety of that time standing on the corner of I-10 and Highway 6 with a sign in hopes that someone would show him some kindness. All he wanted was enough money to make sure that he and his service dog had enough to eat.
Chappell had been trying to apply for jobs, but he had no luck. Despite his many skills and ability to learn quickly, no one would hire him due to his criminal past. However, he knew that he’s improved since then, so he refused to give up. He continued to hold a sign for people driving by.
Plz spread his info, a rt could help him out and find him a job pic.twitter.com/xIEOvVEXu3
— Zahan (@ZahanSho) July 9, 2019
A Simple Sign
The large sign that Chappell holds covers as much detail about his situation as possible. It states that his daily goal is $58 a day. This is the amount that he needs to reach in order to pay for his room, along with food for both him and his dog. At the bottom of his sign, it reads:
“Jack of all trades. Honest guy, give me a try.”
He stood on that corner for such a long time with no luck at all. However, on the 95th day, things changed for Chappell and his furry friend.
Screenshot, abc13.com
An Overwhelming Amount of Phone Calls
Suddenly, he was overwhelmed with phone calls. His story went viral, and lots of kind individuals rushed to his rescue, offering to help him with money and a job. He ended up receiving over 100 phone calls of people willing to help out.
“I’ve got people who just want to help me pay for my room until I get something to come through,” says Chappell. “It’s amazing. I haven’t had this much outreach in a long time.”
Chappell is very grateful for all the support. Without the help of all the kind strangers out there, he and his dog would not be where they are today.
Recently, Chappell has announced that he has a roof job coming up that will allow him to buy a car. With his car, he hopes to be able to go on to better things and seek new opportunities. He also plans to accept a job that was offered to him by the city of Houston.
Chappell and his dog had gone through rough times together, but through it all, they stuck together. He refused to give up until he knew that both him and his furry friend were safe. Now, he couldn’t be more grateful for the help he received.
Featured Image: Screenshot, abc13.comH/T: abc13 Eyewitness News