A mother took it upon herself to help a shy homeless teen who she discovered sleeping on cinder blocks just outside of her home.
Elly Pimentel, 31, first noticed the unidentified boy in August near her home in Washington State.
The divorced mother of two sons, aged six and five, didn’t think much of it at the time, and more than anything, she understood that the teen needed a place to rest his head, even if it was on her property.
‘I was in marching band. I get it. My stoop is your stoop. It’s free stoops,’ she told People.
When September rolled around, Pimentel, a communications manager at Adventurer Manufacturing, started to see the teen more and decided that she wanted to help, leaving him handwritten notes and essentials.
Elly Pimentel, 31, decided to help a homeless teen after spotting him near her home in Washington State in August
She went on to document her journey on TikTok, revealing that she was a bit unsure what her next move should be after finding him, as she kept her children’s safety in mind.
‘There was a very clear division in my head where I am a person and that is a person, and we are both fending for ourselves in this world,’ she said.
‘Then the immediate next thought was, “Okay, but what if this goes south?” That’s when I picked up my phone and decided to record whatever it was I was going to do.’
From the very day she saw the teen, Pimentel took to her page, showing her followers exactly what she chose to do for him.
She first built a care package inside a plastic crate for him with items, including perishables, a sleeping bag, pillow, toiletries, and energy drinks.
The mother also included a note for him and let him know that she was around if he needed his clothes washed.
‘I wrote a note in both English and Spanish. I wanted to convey that this wasn’t a trap.
‘I don’t have extensive experience with the unhoused population, but I know there’s a level of caution that comes with living from moment to moment,’ she told the outlet.
After leaving essentials and a note for him, Pimentel received this message from the teen, telling her what he needed and how thankful he was
Although she was graciously offering her time and resources, Pimentel stressed that she wanted to be sure that no boundaries were crossed.
‘I was trying to walk a fine line between making this available to him without any strings attached. I’m doing it because I see you, and if this benefits you, great.
‘If you want to continue sleeping on the stoop, that’s fine too. But if you’d like to improve your situation, here are these things, with no pressure either way,’ Pimentel said.
In one clip, she said her need to help him stemmed from her being in foster care when she was younger, noting that she ‘did not have the best upbringing.’
Although she never shared his name, or any major details about the teen, Pimentel did find out he dropped out of high school his senior year, and plans to get his GED.
In one clip, she read a note he sent back to her, where he revealed he dreams of pursuing welding or dabbling in mechanics one day.
In her videos, she often showed how the teen rang her doorbell to speak with her, but she was often not home or working at the time.
He soon left a note on receipt paper on her front door and told her what he needed, leading the thoughtful mother to create another package for him.
After confiding in her that his backpack was stolen, she went to the store and got him a new one, filled with extra clothing, more toiletries, and body wipes.
She left the bag hanging on her fence door inside her yard so it could be protected, but as days went by, the bag was never touched.
By October, Pimentel finally ran into him in person, learning more about his back story.
‘I did my best to keep that information confidential. He has been very vulnerable and shared sensitive details,’ she said.
After confiding in her that his backpack was stolen, she went to the store and got him a new one, filled with extra clothing, more toiletries, and body wipes
‘That led to a 90-minute conversation where he laid out what was going on.
‘I made him aware that we would need to take next steps. I started calling resources and gathering information for that next step.’
Pimentel then called the police, who directed her to call back the following day so a Designated Crisis Resource Officer (DCR) could help.
She also phoned a nearby shelter and asked about availability for him.
In her latest video, Pimentel revealed that she has done what she can to help him, but the teen needed more than what she could provide.
Despite ending her selfless journey, she said she has truly appreciated all of the advice she has received from her online followers.
‘A lot of people have said that I’ve done a good thing or have complimented me as a person, when I’ve literally done the bare minimum.
‘Many people are praising me for this, and I’d say the majority of the comments reflect that. That’s not why I did it, but I appreciate all the good feedback,’ she said.
While many people praised her for her work, others suggested that she let him move in with her or buy a tent for him to camp out in her yard.
She said the ‘overarching theme’ from her experience is that compared to her typical ‘get ready with me’ or ‘pack with me’ videos, this made her realize that it’s more important ‘to just notice what’s around us’
Though she never did that, keeping her boys in mind, she said: ‘It’s fascinating to see this discourse unfold, with people navigating similar questions — like whether to use a sleeping bag or a pillow.
‘They’re collectively working through some of the dilemmas I faced in just a split second.’
Her generous decisions have also been noticed by her young children, as she told the outlet that they asked her why she left notes.
‘I try to have conversations with my children about noticing things and putting themselves in someone else’s shoes.
‘Ultimately, I hope that’s what people take away from my experience,’ she said.
She added that the ‘overarching theme’ from her experience is that compared to her typical ‘get ready with me’ or ‘pack with me’ videos, this made her realize that it’s more important ‘to just notice what’s around us.’
‘Even taking the first step of recognizing someone as a fellow human is significant progress,’ Pimentel said.
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