Local companies sponsoring people in need, one sign at a time
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Local companies are taking steps to help people in need in Bowling Green one sign at a time.
You have probably seen people standing on the streets with cardboard signs asking for money or food.
But now, some are holding advertisements.
It all started last week when Southern Touch Lawn and Landscapes owner, Alex Sewell, was driving down the road with his son when he noticed people holding signs asking for help on the side of the road.
Sewell decided to give a few men a job holding an advertising sign instead of a cardboard sign, and in exchange, he would pay them $50 per day.
“I’m not big on handouts but I am big on working so I thought, you know, maybe they just need an opportunity, so that’s when my son and I decided we would offer them jobs through Southern Touch as a sponsorship. And so, we chose to sponsor someone, usually two people each day,” said Sewell.
A friend of his, Brad Poland, the owner of B&M Construction and Design, saw what Sewell had done and immediately wanted to participate.
“The first thing I did was I sent him a message and I was like, ‘Hey, you know, what is your plans with this, and how do I become a part of it,’” said Poland.
Poland is really excited to be a part of something beneficial for both business and people in need.
“We don’t know what their situation is. We don’t know where they come from. And, you know, a lot of them are veterans, and, you know, me being a veteran myself, that could have easily been me and my family out there,” said Poland.
One of the men paid to hold the sign was Thomas Ringuette.
“I think it benefits everybody. You know, God put us on this planet to help out everybody, so let’s just pay it forward and help out one another and go from there,” Ringuette.
Paying it forward and creating a beneficial relationship for everyone involved.
The two businessman hope to continue employing homeless individuals as long as they can and encourage other businesses to get involved too.
