Sunday afternoon, driver Elise McDonald spotted a panhandler on the corner of 6th and Lamar (Whole Foods side) giving money to drivers waiting at the stoplight.
“I had a killer afternoon,” the panhandler, who wanted to remain anonymous, said, “and wanted to give something back.”
McDonald rolled down the window of her BMW 550i sedan and accepted $1.57 in nickels, dimes, and pennies from the pony-tailed gentleman dressed in a wifebeater and jeans.
“I was dying for an iced latte, and this really helps,” said McDonald, who was on her way to Chico’s and wanted to complement her shopping experience with a caffeine boost from nearby Seattle’s Best. “It’s my lucky day. I only had a few coins on me and just hate using my Amex to get a coffee. Really, I should carry more cash.”
The panhandler stands at a variety of corners, sometimes downtown, but more often on the central feeder roads of I-35 and Mopac. He carries a cardboard sign that reads:
VIETNAM VET WITH FAMILY
ANYTHING HELPS
“Some days out here in the sun can be really productive. Today was one of those days. $103. Mostly all change.” He turned his sign over and with a black sharpie wrote:
NOT REALLY A VET
LET ME HELP YOU
The panhandler noted he would have felt uncomfortable bringing that kind of money home to his wife who lives with him on the steps of Lavaca’s First United Methodist Church.
“My walk back to the church steps isn’t that far, but with all that heavy change, in this heat, what’s the temperature today, anyway?” The panhandler alternated between fanning himself with his cardboard sign and holding it over his head for shade. “Those folks in their BMWs and Lexus SUVs have long drives back to Lakeway and Westlake. Anything I can do to make their commutes more bearable. Some change to cover their Jamba Juice or Starbucks is the least I can do.”
