This 1 Rare Photo of a Police Officer Is Going Viral

A kind gesture can inspire people from all over the world — a lesson one Florida police officer learned after a photo of her eating with a homeless man went viral and strangers praised her action.

The photo, originally posted by TiAnna S. Greene on Facebook on July 16, shows Sgt. Erica Hay sitting down to eat a meal with a homeless man. It now has over 400 "likes" and 2,000 shares on Greene's page but more than 2,000 "likes" on the Ocala Police Department's Facebook page. Greene was particularly touched by the action, which is why she took the photo and wrote about it on Facebook. "I didn't know who she was but I wanted her to know it touched me and I'm pretty sure it touched that gentleman," Greene said to Today. "I told my daughter, 'See. That is truly a sign of compassion.'"

As for why Hay did it, the reason is simple — she wanted to help someone out whose life isn't that easy. "He was just there by himself alone, so I just grabbed food and went back to eat with him," she said to Today. "Isolation is the worst part about being someone who is homeless. They're isolated from everyone, and I think any type of interaction is a positive thing."

Viral stories like these are great signs of how positive actions do exist in the world and that anyone can be a part of it.