It's not out of the ordinary for the community to provide a hot meal to people in need during the Thanksgiving holiday, but a Hot Springs police officer and some other good Samaritans went a step further this week to help a local man in need of something more than food.
The acts of kindness began when Hot Springs police Officer Joey Williams noticed Charles Couples panhandling at the intersection of Spring Street and Grand Avenue on Wednesday.
"I got out and he thought he was in trouble," Williams said. "I told him no, that I was just asking what was going on."
Couples was holding a sign that said "Will work for $2." Couples was in need of neuropathy medication, which costs $2.65.
"He said he already had the 65 cents and only needed $2 to afford his medication," Williams said.
Since Couples' electric wheelchair would not fit into Williams' patrol unit, the officer told him to head to Budget Pharmacy, 117 Greenwood Ave., where his medication would be paid for and ready for him to pick up by the time he arrived.
The act of kindness did not go unnoticed. While standing in line to pick up her aunt's medicine, Lavonda Freeman, of Hot Springs, inquired whether Williams had previously known Couples from being on the streets. Williams told her that he had just met the man that day.
"He had the biggest smile on his face buying the medicine," Freeman said.
Couples had eight medications, including the neuropathy medicine, Williams was told. The total cost of all the medications was $13.40. Williams paid for all of them.
"The man needs his prescriptions no matter what is happening in his life," Williams said. "It's Thanksgiving and it is the right thing to do."
Freeman said she was concerned that Couples faced a 7- to 8-mile trip back to his brother's house in his electric wheelchair after picking up the medicine. She offered him a ride back to his home, and with the assistance of two other customers Couples and his wheelchair were loaded into her car.
"He was trying to help me fold up his wheelchair and two men saw and started to help," Freeman said. "Everyone helping this man was like a domino affect."
Couples told Freeman that he served in the Army, had his left leg amputated eight months ago due to an infection, and had lost a family member, one after the other since 2014. Due to the cost of the funeral and travel, he wasn't able to afford his medications.
"He told me it had been a blessed day for him," Freeman said. "Someone bought him groceries. His ex-wife, who he hadn't seen in years, invited him to Christmas dinner.
"This story teaches many things which is why I wanted to share it: Being thankful, helping others, the 'ripple effect' of kindness, police officers that aren't bad and go above and beyond their call of duty, and the beauty of a small community of people coming together to help just one person," she said.
Local on 11/29/2015