Nonprofit Founder Attacked While Helping Homeless In Denver
DENVER (CBS4) – A volunteer who feeds the homeless is recovering from injuries after a homeless man hit him in the face. Jim Scharper, founder of Feeding Denver's Hungry, was giving away groceries near Broadway and Champa Thursday when a man receiving the food hit him in the face with what felt like a pipe.
"I didn't see what hit me but it felt like it was maybe a piece of metal," Scharper said. "I've got a couple of teeth that are knocked loose and lost a couple of fillings."
Dozens of volunteers were present, distributing 21,000 pounds of groceries to a record 2,200 people at the nonprofit's monthly hand-up event.
The attack came after the suspect tried to cut in front of other people in the food line and became upset when confronted, Denver police said in a report.
Scharper's friends spent the next several hours tracking down the suspect and called police. Officers arrested Quinton Boyd, 24, on a charge of assault.
Friends recorded video of the arrest, as police found the groceries still in his bag.
Despite lingering pain, Scharper said he forgives Boyd.
Scharper started the nonprofit seven years ago after overcoming his own struggle with homelessness.
"I'm an alcoholic. So 10 years ago, I was out on the street because of that," Scharper told CBS4's Melissa Garcia.
He hopes Boyd's brush with the law will allow him to get the help that he needs.
"You slip through the cracks when you're out there on the street. And unless something like this happens, it's hard to get help," Scharper said.
Friends started a fundraiser to help Scharper with his dental and medical bills. Scharper was asking the public for donations to help feed more of Denver's struggling population.
LINKS: Feeding Denver's Hungry