Greenville County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Matt Holman was out on patrol one evening when he stopped his car to talk to a local homeless man walking down the sidewalk. That homeless man was Robert Morris, a man who had fallen on some hard times.
Through his addicting to alcohol and drugs, Robert lost his family and lost contact with his siblings. He also recently lost his only shelter. The tent he had set up in the woods washed away during some flooding the area was experiencing.
Deputy Holman and Robert walked until they reached a church where they rested on the steps to continue talking. Not wanting to leave Robert empty-handed, Deputy Holman soon returned to the church with a hot meal for him to enjoy. He asked Robert if there was anything else he needed before he went back on patrol.
“A bible” was his only request. Typically Deputy Holman kept extra bibles in his patrol car, but that night he could not find any extras in his trunk. So instead, he did something completely selfless. He gave Robert his personal bible- the one that he has kept with him, highlighted passages, and marked versus. He knew that Robert was more in need of it than he was at that moment.
Six months later, Deputy Holman got a surprise he was not expecting. Robert got in contact with him to let him know that their chance encounter changed his life. He got sober, got the mental health counseling he needed, and reconnected with his family.
Robert was off the streets and doing well. Robert called Deputy Holman a “hero” for what he did that night and credited him with saving his life. Unfortunately Robert passed away in March of 2015, but his family say that he was a changed man after his encounter with the generous deputy.