“Homeless, the fastest way of becoming a nobody,” was the phrase emblazoned on the woman’s blouse. By the year 2020, Officer Michael Rivers had been employed by the Goldsboro Police Department in North Carolina for nine years. During this time, he had become fairly accustomed to the faces of the homeless individuals in his neighborhood, which allowed him to recognize them when he saw them on the streets.
But over the course of a week, he came across a woman whose face he had never seen in the neighborhood before, and something about her intrigued him. The woman, dressed in denim pants and a white t-shirt with an inspirational quote, looked up at Rivers and simply said, “Hey,” as he passed.
However, Rivers admitted in a CNN interview that he continued to think about the brief interaction long after it ended. He felt compelled to turn back and speak with the woman, whose t-shirt read, “Homeless, the fastest way of becoming a nobody.” Eventually, the 29-year-old decided to return to the location where he had spotted her during his lunch break.
Rivers affirmed, “God put it on my heart to get her lunch.” “I asked her, ‘Hey, did you eat today?’ as I turned around. And she said, ‘No.'” Rivers walked to a nearby pizzeria and ordered cheese and pepperoni pizza. He then sat down next to her on the grass, and they had one of the most thought-provoking conversations he had ever experienced.
He said the conversation was even more enjoyable than the pizza they shared. During his lunch break, he and the homeless woman, whom he came to know as Michelle, exchanged life stories and discovered they had something in common.
Rivers learned that Michelle had been placed in foster care, and her 12-year-old daughter was suffering from liver disease. Rivers’ family took up residence with Michelle’s daughter.
Michelle also told him about her 23-year-old son. While the two were conversing, her husband, who was also homeless, stood across the street.
After lunch, Michelle and Rivers parted ways, but the officer couldn’t help thinking about how society views both homeless people and police officers similarly. Homeless people are often stigmatized and blamed for their difficult circumstances.
Rivers reflected that society also tends to have a slightly negative perception of law enforcement officers because it focuses on the “bad apples” rather than police officers in general.
However, as Rivers pointed out, “Homeless people are just people who are down on their luck,” he remarked. “It can happen to anybody.” As for himself, he added that he did not become a police officer with the intention of ruining someone’s day.
“When I get to work, my method is to ask, ‘Who can I bless today? Who can I make smile?'” Rivers said. “I’m not the type to want to take somebody’s father or mother away and put them in jail.”
A spectator photographed Rivers and Michelle during their brief meeting, and Michelle’s husband, Chris Barnes, later shared the photo on Facebook with the caption: “Cassie was out on her lunch break and watched Goldsboro’s finest eating lunch with a homeless lady. Law enforcement provides several services to our community, many of which go unrecognized. We see you, Goldsboro P.D. Keep up the wonderful job.”
Ironically, responses to the post backed up Rivers’ statements regarding society’s view of police officers. One commenter wrote, “Don’t give the Goldsboro Police Department credit for what one officer did; his heart led him to this woman, not his uniform.”
Another user, Donna Clark, commented: “Officers get such bad press all the time, but many are good, caring men just like this young man. God bless you, sir.”
Following Rivers’ selfless act, Police Chief Michael West praised him, saying: “The circumstances surrounding our job are often unpleasant, but this picture shows we’re human like anyone else. Any chance we get to serve the community and help people, we take that chance.” He added, “Officer Rivers is a great asset to our department.”