Homeless Man Returns $10,000 Cheque, Gets Rewarded With New Life

This is a story of doing a good thing, and then having good things happening in return.

"Help people, that's where my focus is at now," said New Haven resident Elmer Alvarez. "Try to help others."

Alvarez helped someone last November by finding a $10,000 check on a New Haven street and tracking down the owner, Roberta Hoskie. At the time, Elmer needed help, too. He was homeless.

It turns out Hoskie could relate. She told News 8 that she had been on welfare, and at one point was homeless. Now, however, she runs a real estate school.

A couple weeks after the check incident, Hoskie formally thanked Alvarez, and also found a him a place to live, paid six months of rent, and got him free classes at her school.

Now that Alvarez has gotten off the streets, he is dedicating his new life to helping people follow that same path.

"When I see them down and depressed, I tell them. I talk to them and I let them know, I was the one right there too," Alvarez said.

Now that Elmer has learned real estate, which is all about finding homes, he has some ideas for Roberta, and how she can use her expertise to help the homeless.