BRETT: Today’s EIB High Note is the story of the fish proverb playing out in real life. A good Samaritan noticed a homeless man named Kenneth Smith sitting outside an Outback Steakhouse in Fort Worth, Texas. He was hungry. So they went inside and got him a $100 gift card so he could eat.

The manager, Laura Hodges, told us him to hold on to it and instead set about finding him a job, helping him find that job busing tables instead. She turned to her Facebook community, and people pitched in for a motel room, toiletries, even a bike to help him get to work. Here’s a package involving Hodges and Smith talking about how it all transpired.

HODGES: You know, I noticed that he was a little apprehensive. So I sat down, I started talking to him, and he then disclosed to me that he was homeless. He wants to work, he wants to earn money, he wants to earn a living. I’m a mom of three, and so my mom heart was exploding.

SMITH: I am so overwhelmed and so happy. I’ve been homeless for like a good four years. When I came in here, I just went straight to work. It makes me feel so good in my heart.

BRETT: Word spread about what Hodges did for Smith, and people started coming to the restaurant just to see him, to say hello and offer further encouragement. The support from the community has been overwhelming, inspiring others to pay it forward in deed and kindness.