14 DAY TRIAL // A panhandler from Florida has devised a unique and humorous way of raising money when he realized he could not earn enough to make ends meet.
Jeff Stevens is not just a regular beggar, as he puts on a show for the people willing to help him. Despite his rather grim situation, he smiles, waves, dances and twirls a cane to make passers-by laugh.
And his signs are also different. Every Sunday, he gets creative and brandishes hilarious signs in order to put a smile on people's faces in hopes that they will be eager to donate more money.
“Wife and pet tiger abducted. Need help w/ ransom to save my lovable tiger. They can have wife, so much quieter at home,” one of Jeff's signs reads. “Family abducted by aliens. Need help to rent the space shuttle to rescue them!” says another.
He stands at the intersection of Dale Mabry Highway and Kennedy Boulevard and entertains motorists when the light turns from green to red. With every light switch, he has a new audience, which means he has more chances to receive donations.
Stevens used to be a homeless man, but he managed to get a full time job at Denny's and moved into an apartment in 2011. However, though he managed to put a roof over his head, his situation was still harsh. He needed more cash to survive, so he continued to perform his tricks to raise money to pay bills and buy things he needed.
“I used to hold a sign that was ‘Homeless’ and that didn’t really work for me,” he said. “I started coming up with comedy things and trying to make people laugh. It just brightens their day.”
Jeff told the Bay News 9 that in the past, he used to travel with the circus and perform with wild cats, and he now dreams of getting back to his old passion.
But until he manages to get back on his feet, he continues to come at the Tampa intersection every Sunday, performing his show for pedestrians and drivers when the traffic stops. As cars wait for the lights to change, he makes the passengers smile with his amusing tricks.
“It blesses my heart to see them laughing. If I don't make a dollar or anything, it feels good right here just to see somebody smile,” he told the aforementioned newspaper.