Elderly Man Who Sleeps On Bus Stops Finds Treasure In Old Bank Account Enough To Afford Decent Home

For three years, life was not kind to 62-years-old John Helinski as he made the bus stops in Tampa, Florida his residence. He was not only homeless, he was also almost broke. He thought he was doomed to that lonely life. Little did he know that his circumstance was about to change.

Each day was a torment for Helinski as he needed to make ways to fill his grumbling stomach. The city, and perhaps the whole of Florida, regarded him invisible. He found comfort from cardboard boxes, which he used for his bunk. And while he was living a solitary life on streets, his identification documents and cards were stolen.

Through the help of social security workers and a policeman who tried to make an effort to find him a temporary shelter in DACCO Community Housing Solutions Center, Helinski, who was born in Poland, found unexpected treasure from his old bank account. The reports said in order for him to process his accommodation at a homeless shelter, his identification was needed.

Tracing his roots and digging archives of vital records proved laborious but fruitful. Charles Inman from Drug Abuse and Comprehensive Office Inc. and Daniel McDonald from Tampa Police Department spent many weeks recovering his identification documents. Among the records excavated were his driver’s license, social security card and his bank account long forgotten.

The Polish old man said his bank account escaped his memory because the bank, which was doing business under business name Landmark Bank, was changed to Bank of America. But his bank account did not just remain active. America’s Social Security System has been making deposits to that account for his social benefits.

Helinski knew about his social security benefits but assumed it was cancelled. McDonalds elaborated his work involves leaping from one department to another with hope of finding homeless man like Helinski find IDs necessary for social benefits like housing and finding jobs. McDonald helped Helinski secure from local tax collector’s office a temporary State of Florida ID which was used to obtain the latter’s birth record from Bureau of Consular Affairs.

From there, they proceeded to Social Security Office and were told his benefits are just waiting for him from his bank account. Although news did not disclose how much his social benefits have accumulated for a few years, it was said that it was enough to make a deposit for a decent house.

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