Although many law enforcement agencies have been under fire as of late, simple acts of kindness and compassion by police officers can change all of that in a hurry. The case of Robert Wood sheds some light on the kinder side of peace officers who risk their lives every day to protect and serve the communities in which they reside. Wood and his family (his pregnant wife and two young boys) made their way down from Alaska to Eugene to find a place to live, yet they hadn’t found any accommodations and decided to sleep in a nearby park to save some money on an extremely cold night.
Eugene Lieutenant David Natt stumbled upon the Wood’s vehicle that night and noticed Robert’s four-year old son nestled up against his chest and his pregnant wife holding onto their two-year old toddler. Mr. Natt then bestowed an act of kindness on the Wood clan that ended up changing the family’s life forever. He made an offer they couldn’t refuse by setting them up in a warm hotel for two nights, sponsored by the University Fellowship Church of Eugene. The two-night stay allowed the Woods enough time to find temporary accommodations and find a place to call home. Robert, taken aback and completely humbled by the humanitarian effort, decided to post the story on Facebook for his family and friends; the viral post ended up touching the lives of people from across the globe, who extended well wishes and gratitude towards Lieutenant Natt for his act of kindness.
“He made me want to be able to do the same kinds of things for other people,” Mr. Wood said. “He took away the shame and let me know that he’s just a person, I’m just a person and things like this happen.” Robert also said that if their newborn is a boy, he’ll go by the name David. A touching story indeed!
