Back in the distant 1990s, philanthropist Kenneth Bering was driving through the San Francisco Bay Area when he suddenly discovered that his wallet was missing. His assistant anxiously suggested that the wallet might have been lost during their morning walk through the slums of Berkeley. In response, the wealthy Bering simply stated that they would have to wait and see if the person who found it would get in touch.

Two hours later, Bering’s assistant, disheartened, remarked that it was foolish to expect anyone from the slums to return a wallet full of money. He was certain that no one from the poor neighborhood would try to return the lost item. However, Bering calmly insisted that they should wait a little longer to see what would happen. The assistant was baffled; after all, the wallet contained business cards with all the owner’s information. A phone call would take just a few minutes, yet the day had passed with no word. Everything pointed to the likelihood that the person who had the wallet had no intention of returning it.

Bering persisted, and as evening turned into night, the phone finally rang. A bright, youthful voice on the line announced that he wanted to return the lost wallet from the street where the slum was located.

Ignoring his assistant, Bering quickly drove to Kata Street where the meeting was arranged. When he and his assistant arrived, they were approached by a boy in a ragged tunic, holding Bering’s lost wallet in his small hands. The assistant quickly grabbed the wallet and counted the money inside, to his astonishment, finding that not a cent was missing. “Sir, may I ask for some money?” the boy said shyly. Hearing this, Bering’s assistant laughed and said, “See, I knew it…” Before he could finish, Bering interrupted him with a smile and asked, “How much do you want?” “Just a dollar,” the boy replied, blushing. “I spent a long time looking for a payphone, and when I finally found one, I didn’t have any money, so I had to borrow a dollar from the shop owner to make the call. Now I need that dollar to pay him back.” Upon hearing the boy’s explanation, Bering’s assistant was ashamed of his earlier comments and was so moved that he embraced the boy.

The story touched Bering deeply, prompting him to immediately revise his charitable plans. He invested in several schools in Berkeley, aimed at educating children from the slums.

At the opening ceremony, Bering stated, “We shouldn’t assume that everyone is greedy or selfish. We need to give everyone a chance to show that they have pure intentions and kind hearts.”