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PHILADELPHIA — A South Philadelphia woman stepped in with empathy rather than anger when she spotted someone trying to steal a neighbor's package.
Bernadette Williams quickly turned a tense moment into an unexpected act of kindness on Friday.
Williams said she reacted instinctively when she saw the woman reaching for the package. In doorbell camera video, Williams can be heard calling out, "Put that down, put that down."
She then acts with compassion, offering the only money she had in her pocket.
"I'll give you some money. Here's $7, here's $7," she said in the recording.
Williams said she wanted to help rather than escalate the situation.
"I said, 'She's in trouble. How can I make a bad situation better?' You have to be a part of the solution," she said.
Williams offered the woman encouragement as well.
"You're better than that. Get some help. You're better than that. I love you. God loves you," she told her. The woman responded with a quiet, "Thank you."
Williams said she could see remorse in the woman's expression.
"Her eyes of 'I'm sorry.' And that was in her heart and that's what I read. And I hope that she will be fine. And I have faith that she will be fine," she said.
A resident of the neighborhood for decades, Williams said she acted out of a sense of responsibility to her community.
"Let's hope that all Philadelphians would say we are a part of our community and we can make our community better," she said.
In the video, the would-be thief can be faintly heard apologizing. Williams hopes the interaction left a lasting impact.
