WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WKBW) — An unusual sign that appeared sometime over the weekend at the corner of Potters Road and Slade Avenue in West Seneca is turning heads.
It reads, “thank you everyone who has helped. I start working Monday.”
“I’m really glad to hear that he’s found some work,” said Jesse Dixon.
Dixon said he knows who’s behind it. He often sees a man named Kevin standing at the corner.
“If I didn’t see him for two or three days at a time it was unusual. I usually saw him a couple times a week.”
Dixon said Kevin would typically hold a sign saying he was drug and alcohol free, ex-military, and looking for work. Dixon’s children would give him snacks and drinks. The family has also given him money in the past.
“He’s just a nice guy. It seems like he’d fallen on hard times so we were just trying to help him through it.”
According to an employee at a nearby gas station, Kevin got a job with a landscaping company last week.
The sign was a token of appreciation for anyone who has helped him in recent months.
“Here’s a man who was so grateful that he left a sign. It gives me goosebumps,” said Megan Bingham who co-chairs the Project Homeless Connect event held annually at the Convention Center. It puts community resources for those who are struggling all under one roof.
Kevin isn't believed to be homeless. However, according to the Homeless Alliance of Western New York, close to 7,000 were homeless in 2019.
Bingham said she’s thrilled to hear about Kevin’s story, but she’s emphasizing there are resources available for those in the community who may be struggling to find a job or make ends meet. She recommended the following:
The Buffalo Mutual Aid Network
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Restoration Society, INC
Best Self
Catholic Charities of Buffalo
