Written By Corine Gatti-Santillo

Patrick Hoagland was laid off from his job as a fork lifter for three weeks. He needed to obtain work before bills started accumulating. Staying at home and submitting applications was not going to cut it.

He became inventive.

The 31-year-old took to the bustling streets of Camelback Road in Phoenix, AZ. He was armed with 300 resumes, standing in 110-degrees to find an employer. He alerted people that he didn’t want a hand-out, simply work. For three grueling days in the desert sun, Hoagland never stopped smiling standing at the intersection. Cars stopped to take his resume and to wish him well.

“I at first laughed and thought that was silly, but I kept thinking about it. I figured, why not?! There are millions of people in Phoenix driving around, someone might hire me,” Hoagland wrote in an email to CNN.

Melissa DiGianfilippo was driving back to her public relations firm after lunch when she noticed Hoagland in sunglasses and a yellow T-shirt holding up a sign.

“I love that he was not asking for a handout, just for people to consider him for a job,” DiGianfilippo posted on Twitter.

She took his resume. He didn’t have the right skill set for PR work. But posted his resume on her social media accounts.

Then something remarkable happened.

Her message took off on Twitter, but LinkedIn took his resume into the stratosphere. This comprised of contractors, recruiters and people wishing him the best during the job search.

“The post on LinkedIn is what really has taken off the most, generating thousands and thousands of re-shares, reactions and likes,” DiGianfilippo told CNN.

“I also posted it as an Instagram story which got a ton of engagements and people wanting to reach out to him, on Facebook and on Twitter. I am so amazed by how many people re-shared the post because they really wanted to be a part of a positive story.”

The response was overwhelming. Suddenly Hoagland became inundated with job offers and was offered a position at a concrete grinding factory.

The generosity of time showed by one woman changed a man’s life and helped his family. She simply stopped to take a resume and shared it on social media to help another human being. Hoagland’s work ethic paid him back, a characteristic that lacks in our culture today.

If not for DiGianfilippo, Hoagland might be handing out resumes under the Phoenix sun today.

“She has been so great, she didn’t need to help me, but she did, and it has changed my life,” he said. “I am so grateful for her,” wrote Hoagland.

We need to become more like Hoagland and DiGianfilippo when it comes to true altruism, hard work and offering another person hope.

One follower on Twitter replied to the post of Hoagland’s resume: “Wow…what if everyone would commit to helping someone else… just because they need help… every now and then .. do something like this. We would truly be our Brothers/Sisters Keeper.”

What can you do today to help someone reach their potential? We really should be our Brothers and Sisters Keeper.