When Max Zahir encountered a homeless veteran named Robert at a gas station in Redlands, California, who hadn’t eaten for over a day and was seeking spare change for food, he extended a compassionate invitation. Max invited Robert to join him for lunch at a nearby burger drive-thru, offering not only a meal but also a gesture of kindness and support.
This initial act of generosity blossomed into a deeper commitment from Max, who not only pledged to buy Robert lunch daily but also extended a job offer and spearheaded a fundraising campaign that garnered over $20,000 to assist him.
As they ordered food, the homeless veteran expressed deep gratitude, touching Max’s heart and inspiring him to offer further assistance.
“You know what? I go to work every day around 4 o’clock,” Max shared. “If you meet me at that gas station, I’m gonna buy you lunch or dinner.”
“I just wanna do something, and maybe one day you’ll get to your feet, and just pay it forward. And just… stay positive okay….You take care alright… just stay hopeful,” Max adds.
They shook hands several times and agreed to meet each day at 4 o’clock.
“Give me a hug man…” Max says before Robert leaves his car. It’s then that his grateful passenger felt overwhelmed from being shown so much love, and he began weeping as they hugged.
“Nobody’s shown me this much kindness in a while. Thank you… bless you… bless you…thank you, man…” the veteran said.
“You served this country, and you deserve better,” Max replied.
Max wanted to inspire others to help homeless veterans, so he uploaded the clip of him sharing a meal with the homeless man, which went viral online. Motivated by the response, he decided to raise money to purchase sleeping bags, blankets, and food for homeless veterans during the cold winter months. Additionally, Max offered Robert a job at his restaurant.
“Today I met this homeless war veteran named Robert at the gas station. He approached me and asked me for change. I said, ‘What do you need the change for?’ He said he hasn’t eaten since yesterday. So I told him to hop in the car and let me buy you food. Take a look at the video. The idea behind this video is to raise awareness for our homeless veterans,” Max shared along with the clip.
Max set up a GoFundMe campaign with an initial goal of $10,000, which has since surpassed $20,000. Additionally, the homeless veteran non-profit Carry Me Productions reached out to Max and offered to provide housing for Robert. CEO Carrie Nowocin posted on the fundraising page, “Please contact us. We can get him a home!”
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, on any given night, roughly 49,933 armed service veterans are homeless and sleeping on the streets. Many of these veterans faced traumatizing experiences overseas, resulting in PTSD, a mental health condition triggered by terrifying events. Max’s act of kindness has shed light on the plight of homeless veterans and provided hope for a better future for Robert and others in similar situations.