Homeless man returns $10,000 check to woman who lost it

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Elmer Alvarez never thought about how the $10,000 check he found could help him.

When Alvarez, who is homeless, found the envelope with a check inside worth thousands, all he could think about was finding Roberta Hoskie, the person whose name was on it.

"I was just thinking about how that person was feeling by losing an amount of a check like that, an amount of money like that," Alvarez told WTNH. "I'd be feeling kind of desperate."

With help from a friend, Alvarez called the phone number on the check. Hoskie, a single mother who was once homeless herself, was grateful to get the money back. To say thanks, she wrote Alvarez a check as a reward and is helping him get an education and an apartment of his own.

“He’s a golden heart guy,” she said. “He’s a phenomenal guy.”

Hoskie hopes that when he is back on his feet Alvarez will help someone else who is struggling.

“I appreciate everything that she’s doing for me right now,” Alvarez said. “Seeing her happy, seeing her appreciating it and all, that made me feel good.”

Cox Media Group