McDonald's general manager, Paloma Robles, knows that it's strictly against company policy to open a locked door, she did it anyway.
That open door didn't just give a freezing homeless man a temporary respite, it opened the door to an entirely new life.
What Happened When a Couple Discovered a Homeless Man Freezing in the Cold
It was a frigid day in Lewisville, Texas when Doug and Kylie Evans happened upon a man shivering in the cold. They immediately got out of their car to offer help.
“I couldn’t even believe it,” Kyli Evans said. “I said, ‘Is that somebody sitting on the side of the road?’ The human heart in me could not allow somebody to just sit outside in 12-degree weather, so I just wanted to do something.”
The man was Derrick Mounter. Once a college student studying graphic design with a dream of becoming an animator, he had fallen on hard times after a break-up and a car accident that nearly killed him.
The couple decided to take him to the nearest McDonald's to warm up and get something to eat.
Upon arriving at the restaurant they discovered that the dining room was closed but the drive-thru was open. Not one to be dissuaded, Doug knocked on the locked door and asked to be let in, explaining that they had just picked up a man they found under a bridge. Luckily for Mounter, Robles was on the other side.
Knowing full-well that she was breaking the rules and could potentially lose her job, she opened the door.
“I needed to help him,” Robles said. “I would not let him be outside in the cold.”
First, She Opened the Door, Then She Opened Her Heart
Robles didn't just take the time to fill Mounter's empty stomach, she took the time to hear his story.
After his life imploded, Mounter found himself on the streets.
“I prayed to God every single day, ‘God, please help me out of this situation.’”
Derrick Mounter
But God didn't seem to be listening. Mounter, who doesn't struggle with drugs or alcohol, desperately tried to get a job. No one would give him a chance. Instead, all he got was condemnation and scorn from passersby.
“It made me not want to live anymore and it made me feel like God was not on my side anymore because (of) some of the things that they were saying,” He added.
He had almost given up. And that's when his "guardian angels" walked into his life.
Opportunity Knocks and a Homeless Man Answers
After hearing Mounter's story, Robles knew exactly what she needed to do. She offered to hire him on the spot.
“I said, 'I’m going to give you that job,’” Robles said. “'I’m going to give you that opportunity that you’re looking for.’"
Mounter broke down in tears.
“She knew I had something better to live for and she didn’t want me to be in this situation anymore,” he said.
He gratefully accepted. Now, weeks later, Mounter is a beloved addition to the team and a model employee, showing up at least 15 minutes early for every shift.
And it's all thanks to three compassionate people willing to step up and help a stranger in need. Robles didn't just offer him a job, she offered him a fresh start, a chance to completely turn his life around.
And it begs the question, "What would happen if we all gave someone a chance?"
"We'd change the world."
Paloma Robles
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