Meet Nathan Stafford, the Sydney gardener whose response to a homeless man’s request for change went viral: he offered work, then paid him $100
A homeless man asking for spare change in Sydney received a different kind of help when gardener Nathan Stafford offered him work instead. Stafford was cleaning up a residential street when the man, who introduced himself as Robert, approached him and asked for money because he needed to eat.Robert was pushing his belongings in a trolley while standing in the pouring rain, news.com.au reported. He told Stafford that he lived on the street and that the trolley contained “everything” he owned. Rather than simply handing over money, Stafford asked if Robert would help him clear leaves from the street. “I’m happy to help you out, but would you like to give me a hand?” Stafford replied. “Sure,” Robert said.Stafford then gave him a rake, and the two men worked together to clear the leaves. Once the job was finished, Stafford gave Robert $100. The exchange was recorded and later shared online, where it drew a strong response from viewers.“You helped me out, so I want to help you,” Stafford said as he handed Robert the money. Robert was visibly happy with the payment. “Beautiful, I’m very happy with that. That’ll last me a long time; I’ll have a lot of meals. Thank you brother,” he said.
Stafford explains why he offered work
Stafford, who runs Nathan’s Lawns and Gardens, later explained his thinking behind the encounter. He acknowledged that some people might question his decision to ask Robert to work while he was already wet and living on the street.“I had two choices here… some may say I got it wrong,” Stafford wrote while sharing the video online. He said his own experience of homelessness influenced how he responded. Stafford explained that he understood why Robert was asking people for money because he had also done the same when he was living on the street.“As someone that has lived on the street I totally get where this man is coming from,” he wrote. Stafford recalled an incident from his own past when he was homeless. He said he once asked someone for money, but the man refused and instead offered to take him in and buy him dinner. “I actually was so hungry that I was so glad he did. I never forgot that man and those moments in my life many years ago,” Stafford said.That experience shaped the way Stafford approached Robert. He said that while Robert was already soaked by the rain, helping him for a few more minutes would not change the fact that he was wet.The gardener said the work was his way of allowing Robert to earn the money while also showing him respect. “I like to call it giving him some respect in a pretty awful situation and letting him earn that money with some dignity and pride,” Stafford wrote.
Robert was also offered food and warm clothes
Stafford also said there was no way he would allow Robert to leave without getting something to eat and receiving fresh, warm clothes.“If you never have lived on the street count yourself lucky as it isn’t a fun place… Also you should know there was no way I was letting him leave without a meal on me around the corner and getting him some fresh new warm clothes,” he wrote.The comments under the video were largely supportive of Stafford’s response. Some viewers said that giving Robert a chance to work had helped him feel useful and maintain a sense of dignity.One commenter wrote that Stafford had allowed Robert to “earn the money and feel useful”, adding that this could be something he had not experienced for some time. Another said, “You gave him a sense of purpose, and that’s what’s important.”The video gained attention as Stafford’s social media following has grown to 13.3 million across Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. His accounts feature videos of him cleaning gardens and streets for no charge.
