INDIANAPOLIS -- It was a Craigslist ad promising work for people in need of extra cash before the holiday.
The ad promised $13 per hour to those willing to help pick up and deliver items for families in need. The ad said no special skills were required, just good old fashioned labor.
However, they did want people who could really use the money. So, in addition to a resume, they wanted information about the person's situation, as they could only use ten people.
125 people responded.
They were to meet at an Indianapolis Walmart Wednesday, where they would then get to work delivering items to families. Instead, they were on the receiving end.
"We're gonna give you 50 dollars in cash and give you 200 dollars in Walmart gift cards," Brent Chance said.
30-year-old Eric Matthews was overwhelmed by the generosity. He recently moved to Indianapolis from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
"I've been down here completely on myself. I've been living off of couches and I've been needing a win," Matthews said.
It was a win for 31-year-old Darrell Gray and his four kids. They drove to Indianapolis six days ago from Gary, looking for a new beginning.
"I actually came with nothing. I put my last dollars in my gas tank to make it here. Now I can take my kids Christmas shopping real quick and make them very happy," Darrell Gray said.
Along with the cash and gift cards, Gray and all the others, received new bibles. Heather Irwin isn't particularly religious, but that might change.
RELATED | IMPD officers hand out gift cards to people in need
"It's definitely something to think about getting into a church. Especially when you see organizations like this helping people," Irwin said.
The organization behind the surprise is called Trail's End Men's Fellowship. They held a prayer session after the giveaway.
"We have a philosophy picked from another ministry. We don't do a whole lot of preaching to them, that makes all the difference in the world," Chance said.
It is a difference that the Gray family is feeling right now. Christmas will be just a little bit better for them.
Trails Ends Men's Fellowship has given away $12,500 in cash and gift cards the last three years.
-------
Sign up to have the latest news headlines delivered straight to your email inbox
