A police department’s act of kindness for a New York man who they say has been “down on his luck” is going viral.
The Rome Police Department on Tuesday shared photos of the man, whom they identified as Bobby, before and after he was given a haircut, a shave, a shower and new clothing.
“Bobby left looking like a whole new person and couldn’t thank us enough,” police said in a Facebook post.
Rome police Officer Jeff Buckley told WSTM that his fellow officer, Aaron Page, spoke with Bobby on Monday and realized that he could use some help.
"It was obvious he needed some simple things clothing-wise," Buckley told the news station. "He literally had just the clothes he was wearing."
Page told Bobby to come the next day to the station, where he was met by Page, Buckly, Officer George Gebo and Sgt. Frank Fragapane, WSTM reported. The group had gathered donated clothing for Bobby and Page brought along a pair of clippers to cut down the thick growth of his beard and hair.
"We are always trying to come up with new ideas of how to help and give back to our community," Buckley told WSTM. "Officer Page spearheaded the idea on this one, and it was a great way to help someone who simply needed a hand."
The police department’s efforts spread quickly on social media. The post had garnered more than 22,000 likes and reactions and had been shared nearly 10,000 times by Friday afternoon.
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