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Smile. Right. Just run off. Please don't scream. I'm not going to hurt you. Wait a minute. Eli. Savannah. Look. I didn't know this was your house. Vincy News is elementary school. [panting] What are you doing in my closet? I'm calling security. Wait. No. Please. Look. Please. I wouldn't be in here right now if I wasn't desperate. Please, Savannah, my little sister's counting on me. Looks like I cannot get arrested. I don't know what you think this is, but this is a really big day for my mom, and if she catches you up here, it's my Councilwoman Price is here, and she would like to meet you.
Give me a second. Please, don't make a sound. No, no, I want to promise you. Okay. Oh, here she is. My daughter, Savannah. She's a change maker. Oh, pleasure to meet you, Councilwoman. We really appreciate your support. The pleasure is mine. Your mom tells me that you care deeply about the homeless teens and you are wanting to convert the old properties for transitional housing. Savannah is the heart behind our new youth initiative and soon she will be the face as well. Nice. Wait, really? The initiative's actually happening? Of course, darling. We've discussed this, right?
My friend from the Chronicles is here. It was nice meeting you and Savannah. I can't wait to talk more about you. So nice to meet you. Yes. Thank you. You know how important appearances are. You and I need to be perceived as a unified front. We are. Especially with the youth initiative happening. It might happen. It all depends on how this brunch goes today. So, do not embarrass me. Everything needs to be perfect. Do I make myself clear, Crystal? Now, clean up in here. Get out. You need to leave. No. Please. No. You heard my mom. Absolutely nothing can go wrong today. No. Too much is writing on this.
Okay. Hold on. Please. No. Just give me a second. You're in my sister hasn't eaten in 2 days. Please. What? Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know this was your house. We were just passing by and I saw the catering trucks. Look, all I was going to do was go in and get some food for Maya and get out. I promise you that's all I was going to do. But why hasn't she eaten in 2 days? Look, it's it's a really long story and clearly you don't have time to hear it. Look, Savannah, please. Please, Savannah, 2 minutes. 2 minutes is all I ask. Please, let me go downstairs and get some food and I promise you I will get out and you won't
see me again. Okay, fine. But I can't let you down there. You're going to get caught and my mom will not be happy. You don't think I blend in? It's just stay there. Okay. Be quiet and I'll come up with the food as soon as I can. Okay. I love that accessory in your hair. Oh, thank you. An old friend gave it to me. I am so impressed with everything you've accomplished, Veronica, and your foundation is the largest donor for our city housing projects. Thank you. As a mother myself, I care very deeply about families in our communities. So, this foundation is my world. Yeah. You become one of the most influential figures in the city's housing sector. What was your entry point into real estate development and
what drove you to that decision? Although I am truly humbled to be where I am today, I actually started with nothing. You see, I know. Mommy's trying. I didn't always live in luxury. Shortly after I had my daughter, Savannah, I lost my job, fell behind on the rent, and had nowhere to go. I kept telling myself sleeping in the car was only going to be for one night. Then one night turned into two, and two turned into weeks. The hardest part wasn't being hungry myself. It was hearing my baby cry and knowing I had nothing to give her.
[snorts] Then I heard a knock on my window. My first thought was that it was police telling me to move. I'm so sorry. I can leave. I just wanted somewhere for my baby to sleep tonight. I thought even the car wasn't safe anymore. No, you don't have to move. But really, this is for you. I can't pay you back. You don't have to pay me back. Just take care of your baby. It was a good Samaritan. someone who saw me at the lowest and chose not to look away. They gave me food, diapers, formula, but more than that, they gave me hope. So, you see, that one act of kindness didn't
just help me feed my daughter that night. It reminded me that I mattered and that Savannah still had a chance. And honestly, it saved me. No, wait. We spoke to the maid and she described the individual as a young man, uh, most likely late teens. So, he ran off, but we suspect he's still in the building. We can't have him in the building. We got to find him. I told you to stay put and be quiet. How was I supposed to know your maid was going to walk in?
No, no, no. Hold on. What did they catch us here? Not if we act fast. Do you guys really not have food at home? We don't have a home. My mom's been living in the same building since she was a kid. and new management took over and the rent was raised in suddenly we were homeless. Why didn't you guys go to a shelter? Savannah, I can't. My mom's in the hospital. If I took Maya to a homeless shelter and they found out our situation and Come on, they take us away from my mom. I can't let that happen. I'm so sorry, Eli.
Savannah, she's coming. Go under the table. Go, go, go, go. There you are. Can you believe we just found some filthy squatter hiding in your bathroom? I swear people like that are more akin to vermin than human beings. Mom, I thought you cared about the homeless. You know what I care about? I care about you getting your makeup touched up because Channel 7 is going to be here any moment and you are looking shiny. So, hurry up. Man, your mom's a real treat, isn't she? Yeah. Well, appearances are everything to her, but [clears throat] she does a lot of good for the community.
Maybe, but you know what? Helping people should come from the kindness of their hearts. Come on. Not from wanting attention. Ray as in Ray's development. Don't worry, baby. You just keep coloring. Okay. Yeah. Maria Torres, I called the office. I just need a little more time. The building's under new ownership now. Ray's management sent the final notice out weeks ago. My mother lived here before me. I'm raising my children here. I've been sick, but I can pay it a little bit like next week.
I'm sorry. Just like the final notice has said, you have to vacate today. We have to leave our house. No, baby. We're just going to go on a little adventure. Okay. It'll be fine. [screaming] Mom. Mom, I'm okay. I've got $9 in here. Please, is that enough to say? No, baby. We're going to be okay. The taes are always okay, right? We're going to be okay. I think your mom's the one that put my family in the streets. Wait, what are you talking about? That's not true. She literally has a foundation to help fund raise for This is Rez.
Channel 7 just pulled in. Perfect. Thank you. One more thing. How would you like me to handle that? Junior, I have an idea. Excuse me. No way. What'd you find? Construction plans to replace multiple lowincome housing properties and subsidized living facilities in the area. They're doing this on purpose. Did you find anything? Yeah, it's a lie. All of it. Well, now that you know the truth, what are you going to do? Where's my brother? Am I in trouble?
No, honey. You are not in trouble. And don't worry, we'll help you find your brother. But before that, I just need you to do me this one little teensy wincy little favor. Can you do that for me? Oh, good. Thank you. Let's bring her inside. Today, we celebrate compassion in action and not just as an idea, but as something we could see, feel, and measure through the real lives that we change. We also have a very special guest who's going to share with us how our foundation has made an impact. Go ahead, honey. Um, I want to thank Miss Reyes and the Reyes Foundation for everything they've done for Eli.
What are you doing? I was going to ask you the same thing. Um, please excuse us. We'll be right back. Enjoy the cocktails, please. You ruined a big moment. Do you realize how bad you just made me look? All you ever care about is appearances. But guess what, Mom? Kindness isn't about looking good. It's about doing good. Was that story about you living in the car even true? Of course it was. Then how could you treat people this way after everything that you've been through? A couple hundred people being displaced is a risk I am willing to take.
Hey, these people aren't JUST NUMBERS. THEY HAVE NAMES AND LIVES JUST LIKE MY MOM. Her name is Maria Torres. She grew up in that building and she has a heart of gold. She was willing to help anybody, even if it meant she was going to lose herself. I'm I'm so sorry. I can leave. I just wanted somewhere for my baby to sleep tonight. No. You don't have to move. This is for you. I can't pay you back. You don't have to pay me back. Just take care of your baby. It's okay. You're not alone. I've got you.
This is your mom. She's the one who helped me 18 years ago. Where is she? She ended up in the hospital shortly after the eviction notice. Know you raised our rent. I want to be honest about something. What started out as a genuine mission became something else. Somewhere along the way, I stopped focusing on helping people and I started focusing on how it all looked. But there was a time when my family needed help and someone showed us kindness when they didn't have to. That's what this was all supposed to be about. So going forward, we will continue renovating our properties, but rents will not be increased. And not because
it's good for the image, but because it's the right thing to do. and I'm proud to officially launch our new youth housing initiative led by my daughter Savannah focused on providing real support to young people, not just promises. Because kindness is not something you perform, it is something you do. Hey, Mom. You have some visitors. Mom, all your hospital bills are going to be paid for, and Veronica's going to be letting us stay in her place for a while. That's too much. No, it's not. It's about time I showed your family the kindness you showed me.
