Community Gives Back To Homeless People After They Donated $8 To A Slain Officer’s Family

• Richmond’s homeless community donated $8 for the bereaved family of late police officer Seara Burton.
• The act of kindness created a ripple of generosity, with the community rallying to help the homeless.
• The community sent in so many donations like tents and blankets that it almost filled an entire room in the Richmond Fire Station.

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Richmond Police Lieutenant Donnie Benedict shared the story of how the late police officer Seara Burton inspired an act of kindness that rippled throughout the community.

During Burton’s funeral on Monday, Benedict recalled how a person handed over a white envelope to an officer at the police station.

Inside the envelope was eight $1 bills, an anonymous donation for Burton’s family, that came from Richmond’s homeless community.

Benedict shared, “This gift was in a wrinkled dirty well-used envelope. …and on the envelope was written these four words: people from the street. The person explained that several of the homeless people from the city of Richmond have taken up a donation from the people that live on our streets here in Richland and they wanted to donate this to Seara’s family.”

Seara passed away at 28 years old on Sept. 18 after she was shot while helping other officers with a traffic stop. She joined the police department four years ago.

The lieutenant noted that while there are several valuable gifts given to honor Seara, there is none more valuable than that “gift of 8 $1 bills in a dirty white envelope.”

That valuable gift touched the community so much that they wanted to give back to the homeless population.

Resident Amber Conley asked for donations on Facebook.

She said, “Ask and you shall receive; we’ve got more donations in the last 12 hours than we have in the entire 3 days. It’s been insane.”

The community sent in so many donations that it almost filled an entire room in the Richmond Fire Station. People donated essentials like tents, blankets, coats, and water, among many others.

Seara’s mom told Amber that “she would love this. She would love people helping people and reaching out.”

Amber added, Everyone feels so hopeless and I feel like now that unfortunately Seara is gone this is the best legacy you could ever leave behind is people showing kindness to the other citizens in honor of her.”

Source: sunny skyz