NYPD Officer Gives Homeless Man the Shirt Off His Back
An officer in the New York Police Department made a homeless man's day a little warmer when he gave him the sweatshirt off his back. The incident is beginning to gain national attention and warm the hearts of even the most cynical person.
Officer Carlos Ramos was on duty near the United Nations when he happened upon a man sitting outside, in the cold. The man was shivering, so Ramos stopped and asked if he wanted to go to a hospital or shelter, but the man refused. Ramos continued speaking with the man, then offered his own sweatshirt off his back.
"I told him, 'I have a thick sweatshirt. Why don't you take it?'" Ramos told New York Daily News. "I was just giving him the sweater because it was so cold. I saw he was in need and it was my job to help him. I saw he had no coat. It was a very cold day because I was very cold even bundled up. My concern was for him – his concern was for me staying warm."
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Ramos is no stranger to doing good for other people he meets throughout the city.
"I've helped out other people, especially when it's cold," he explained. "A nice cup of coffee, a tea, whatever seems appropriate. I always wanted to help those that need help, protect the city, protect the country."
Ramos, a married father of three, has been with the NYPD since 2007. For him, serving the people is what being an officer is all about.
And it's also fulfilling a lesson that Jesus Christ taught his followers. The books of Matthew and Luke record this teaching in the Bible.
"But I say to you, if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him take your coat also. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you," Matthew 5:40, 42 states in the New International Version.
This Christmas, one person will be a little warmer thanks to the actions of Officer Ramos.
