Thirty Echoes

 

We’re warned by those who work with the homeless not to give cash to panhandlers. They say the money won’t go to food or shelter. It just fuels whatever addiction put them there in the first place. But what if you donated a lot of money – enough to really make a difference? That’s the question the documentary “Reversal of Fortune” tried to answer in 2005. They handed $100,000 to Ted Rodrigue, a man who lived under a bridge and recycled beverage containers to buy food, beer and cigarettes. His first purchases were a new bicycle and an amusement park trip. Then he rented a motel room. Ted’s family learned about his windfall and invited him to come for a visit. They encouraged him to find a job and invest his money, but he was only concerned about the NOW. Within six months, the money was all gone and Ted was back under the bridge, dumpster diving for bottles and cans.