Los Angeles Lawyer Gives House To Homeless Family

January 2, 2012

The Huffington Post

A 51-year-old man is moving back in with his parents so a homeless family can live in his house instead.

Tony Tolbert’s offer is good for one full year. According to CBS, the spare bedroom in his childhood home in Los Angeles frequently went to people in need, which inspired his own version of the act.

"You don't have to be Bill Gates or Warren Buffet or Oprah," Tolbert, a Harvard-educated attorney, told CBS in the video above. "We can do it wherever we are, with whatever we have, and for me, I have a home that I can make available."

Tolbert had never met the recipients. He found them through Alexandria House, a shelter for women and children. Felicia Dukes, a mother of four, couldn't believe the deal when she heard it.

"They had a young man that wanted to donate their house to you for a year," Dukes recalled. "And I'm looking at her, like, what? Like -- are you serious?"

According to the news station, she and three of her children shared a single room at the shelter, whose rules prevented her adult son from joining them. Now they're back together.

CBS reported they have all arrived at Tolbert’s house, which will remain fully furnished for the duration of their stay. In the video, Dukes tearfully expresses her gratitude.

"My heart just fills up and stuff, um ... I'm just really happy," Dukes said.

The story comes days after we wrote about Grace McNulty, who like Tolbert, found inspiration to help the homeless from her father. He died in August, and so Mcnulty, 10, spent Christmas Day serving full turkey dinners to homeless people, honoring his wish to alleviate their suffering during the holidays.

Additionally, a barber in Salt Lake City has been helping the homeless for the past 19 years. Every Monday, he gives free haircuts to clean up their look or jumpstart a job search.