A mother took it upon herself to help a shy homeless teenager whom she discovered sleeping on cement blocks outside her house.
Elly Pimental, 31, first saw the unidentified boy in August near her home in Washington state.
The divorced mother of two children, ages six and five, didn’t think much about it at the time and, more than anything, understood that the teenager needed a place to rest, even if it was on her property.
“I was in the marching band. I get it. My porch is your porch. It’s free stairs,” he said. People.
When September rolled around, Pimental, Adventurer Manufacturing’s communications manager, started seeing the teen more and decided she wanted to help him, leaving him handwritten notes and essential items.
Elly Pimental, 31, decided to help a homeless teenager after seeing him near her home in Washington state in August.
She continued to document her journey on TikTok and revealed that she was a little unsure of what her next step should be after finding him, as she had her children’s safety in mind.
“There was a very clear divide in my head: I’m a person and that’s a person, and we’re both fending for ourselves in this world,” he said.
‘Then the next immediate thought was: “Okay, but what if this goes wrong?” That’s when I picked up my phone and decided to record whatever I was going to do.”
From the same day he saw the teenager, Pimental took to his page and showed his followers exactly what he chose to do for him.
He first built her a care package inside a plastic box with items, including perishables, a sleeping bag, a pillow, toiletries and energy drinks.
The mother also included a note for him and let him know she was nearby if he needed his clothes washed.
‘I wrote a note in both English and Spanish. I wanted to convey that this was not a trap.
“I don’t have a lot of experience with the homeless population, but I know there is a level of caution that comes with living moment to moment,” he told the outlet.
After leaving him the essentials and a note, Pimental received this message from the teen, telling him what he needed and how grateful he was.
Although she graciously offered her time and resources, Pimental emphasized that she wanted to be sure no boundaries were crossed.
“I was trying to walk a fine line between making this available to you without any strings attached.” I do it because I see you, and if this benefits you, great.
‘If you want to continue sleeping on the porch, that’s fine too. But if you want to improve your situation, here you have these things, without pressure from anywhere,” Pimental said.
In one clip, she said her need to help him was because she was in foster care when she was younger, noting that she “didn’t have the best upbringing.”
Although he never shared his name or any important details about the teen, Pimental found out that he dropped out of high school his senior year and plans to obtain his GED.
In one clip, she read a note he sent her, where he revealed that he dreams of getting into welding or getting into mechanics one day.
In her videos, she often showed the teenager ringing her doorbell to talk to her, but she was often not home or working at the time.
He soon left a receipt note on her doorstep and told her what he needed, prompting the thoughtful mother to create another package for him.
After confiding in her that her backpack had been stolen, she went to the store and bought him a new one, filled with extra clothes, more toiletries, and body wipes.
He left the bag hanging on the fence gate inside his garden so that it could be protected, but as the days passed, the bag was never touched.
In October, Pimental finally met him in person and learned more about his backstory.
‘I did everything I could to keep that information confidential. “He has been very vulnerable and shared sensitive details,” she said.
After confiding in her that her backpack had been stolen, she went to the store and bought him a new one, filled with extra clothes, more toiletries, and body wipes.
‘That led to a 90-minute conversation in which he laid out what was going on.
‘I let him know that we would have to take the next steps. “I started calling resources and gathering information for the next step.”
Pimental then called the police, who told him to call again the next day so a Designated Crisis Resource Officer (DCR) could help.
He also called a nearby shelter and asked if there was any availability for him.
In her latest video, Pimental revealed that she has done everything she can to help him, but the teen needed more than she could give him.
Despite ending his journey selfless, he said he really appreciates all the advice he received from his online followers.
“A lot of people have said I’ve done something good or congratulated me as a person, when I’ve literally done the minimum.”
‘A lot of people praise me for this and I would say that most of the comments reflect that. “I didn’t do it for that reason, but I appreciate all the good comments,” he said.
While many people praised her for her work, others suggested she let him move in with her or buy her a tent to camp in her garden.
He said the “overall theme” of his experience is that, compared to his typical “get ready with me” or “pack with me” videos, this made him realize that it’s more important to “just notice what’s around us.”
Although he never did that, with his children in mind, he said, “It’s fascinating to see this discourse develop, with people facing similar questions, like whether to use a sleeping bag or a pillow.”
“They are collectively solving some of the dilemmas I faced in just a split second.”
His generous decisions have also been noticed by his young children, as he told the outlet that they asked him why he left notes.
‘I try to talk to my children about how to notice things and put themselves in someone else’s shoes.
“Ultimately, I hope that’s what people take away from my experience,” he said.
He added that the “overall theme” of his experience is that, compared to his typical “get ready with me” or “pack with me” videos, this made him realize that it’s more important to “just notice what’s around us.”
“Even taking the first step to recognize someone as a neighbor is significant progress,” Pimental said.