Fort Worth, Texas man Kenneth Smith always used to sit outside the Outback Steakhouse on Bryant Road, hoping someone would offer him a spare bit of change or a little bite of food.
He told NBC DFW, "I've been homeless for, like, a good four years," Smith said. "Wondering how am I going to get a meal? Who am I going to turn to? Who can I ask."
One day, a woman offered him a $100 gift card to the restaurant, though Outback Steakhouse Managing Partner Laura Hodges noticed Smith was a little apprehensive when he entered the restaurant.
Smith revealed he was homeless, but then grew more comfortable, and began coming in every day.
Hodges said, "He wants to work. He wants to earn money. He wants to earn a living."
A couple of weeks ago, a busboy positioned opened at Outback, and Hodges knew the perfect candidate for the job.
Smith now works six days a week, and knowing how hard it would be to keep a job without having a place to live inquired about low-cost housing on the Forth Worth Foodies Facebook page. He was met with over $2,000 in donations in less than a day to help put a roof over his head.
Smith is obviously thrilled with his new job. "I am so overwhelmed and so happy," he said. "It makes me feel so good in my heart."
He plans on one day opening his own restaurant.
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