A video that was posted on social media with a malicious intent has turned out to be a blessing for a homeless man who was having a tough week last week.
Anthony Torres, age 56, has been without a house, unable to put food on the table, and unable to find gainful employment since he suffers from multiple physical ailments and injuries.
In the past few weeks, he has been robbed and assaulted on two separate occasions. After battling on the streets of many towns, he finally called his brother for assistance after he was able to get a hold of his phone.
He was given some money by one of his siblings, which he used to purchase a train ticket in order to visit one of his other brothers who lives in New Jersey.
Torres wanted to clean himself up so that he could look nice and respectable for his brother and family, so as he was riding on the NJ Transit train, he took out a razor, lathered himself up, and began shaving. He wanted to look nice and decent for his brother and family.
After that, his traveling companion Pete Bentivegna began filming him shaving so that he could upload the clip to his social media accounts.
The initial response on the internet was hostile. People made fun of Torres by calling him a “slob,” but after he learned about the video, he began spreading his message through national news sites and pleaded with people not to condemn him because he was going through a tough time in his life. Torres is seen in the video.
After a few days had passed, the tide on the internet had shifted. A person by the name of Jordan Uhl established a GoFundMe campaign with the intention of collecting monetary contributions for Torres.
Users of social media who were embarrassed expressed their regret, offered their apologies, and sent messages of support and encouragement.
Over $41,000 has been raised in just one week, the majority of which has already been placed into Torres’s account – and new donations are flooding in every day. In total, Torres has already received the majority of the funds that have been donated.
The passenger who was responsible for posting the footage of Torres shaving has issued an apology for what happened. He has now licensed the film in order to give Torres and his family one hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of the movie.
In addition, Torres has been extended dozens of job offers; however, due to the limitations imposed by his impairments, he is unable to take any of them.
Despite this, Torres expresses his gratitude for the generosity of those who have extended these opportunities to him.
However, the most important thing to him is that he thinks that he has regained his dignity.
Torres expressed her joy to The Washington Post, saying, “I feel really delighted.” “I feel like a new man.”
His brother went on to say that during his entire life, “he’s been through hell.” I believe that the realization that so many people are concerned about him will serve as a wake-up call for him.
Torres and his family are now in a secure location, but he has the intention of utilizing the money to purchase a mobile home for himself. This way, he will always have a place to stay, regardless of where he is.