TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Phil, the local man who's story went viral last month after a Tallahassee Police officer was captured on camera shaving off his beard for a job interview, is still thriving.
In the latest, #TeamPhil update, the Tallahassee Police Department reports that Phil is "doing really great" and is encouraging his homeless friends to keep trying.
#TeamPhil #Update We caught up with our friend Phil today at McDonald's! He told us he’s doing really great, working all of his shifts, and enjoying the job & training. He’s helping his homeless friends by encouraging them to keep trying. #helpingothers #makingadifference pic.twitter.com/4yxiiWD0Gz
— Tallahassee Police (@TallyPD) August 29, 2018
Phil tells TPD he is working all of his shifts and is enjoying his job. Now, Phil is helping his homeless friends by encouraging them to keep on trying.
Later on, TPD writes that they will speaking with Phil, Raphael Vasquez, the owner of the McDonald's location Phil works at, and Officer Carlson, the officer who helped Phil, about how everything is going.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The community is continuing their support of Phil March, the homeless man whose story went viral in July.
The Tallahassee Police Department gave an update to the community on Phil on their Facebook page.
TPD stated they got Phil a bus pass through Sept. 7 and he's getting a lot of cool stuff sent to him courtesy of TPD Officer Tony Carlson, like a shaving kit from Harry's.
TPD also said Phil is still doing great at his job at McDonald's and they are in contact with him several times a week.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Phil March, the homeless man whose story went viral, is doing great at his new job at McDoanld's.
The Tallahassee Police Department says Phil is doing great and enjoying his new job at McDonald's.
TPD received some gift cards from various restaurants from a former TPD officer to give to Phil.
TPD Officer Tony Carlson did the honors of presenting Phil with the gift cards.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A homeless man whose story went viral started his new job at McDonald's today.
TPD says Phil March started his new job Friday at McDonald's.
Earlier Friday, Phil, along with TPD officer Tony Carlson, visited the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to get his Florida ID card.
The the co-owner of the McDonald's at 3438 Thomasville Road where Phil applied for a job said he would be set to get an official job offer after getting the required items.
Community helps homeless man in effort to get job
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - We've been following the now-viral story of a Tallahassee police officer who shaved a homeless man to help him get a job.
Phil March got to shower, cut his hair, wear a tie for the first time in his life and more importantly, start the paperwork for his identification, so he can get that job at McDonald's.
Phil told us he's been homeless for a little more than a year after the house he and his nephew were living in was foreclosed.
He said he was always trying to find away off the streets and as we've seen, he got some help this week, thanks to Tallahassee police officer Tony Carlson.
Since that moment was shared online, the two of them have been instant celebrities, but neither of them even knew they were being filmed.
Phil said he's very thankful for all of the help he's gotten from Officer Carlson to the McDonald's on Thomasville Road.
"Just happened to be at McDonald's that day when the people were talking. I told them, 'Hey, I can work, too.' She said, 'Well, prove to me that you want the job. Shave the beard. Look like Grizzly Adams.' So, I finally got the shave, and everything is working out now," said Phil.
Phil met the owner of that McDonald's Thursday at the Capitol.
Officer Carlson said Phil's paperwork will get mailed to the police department and he'll take it to Phil himself.
TPD, TFD join forces to help man shown in viral video
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Phil, all dressed up and clean shaven, went inside the Florida State Capitol for the first time.
The Tallahassee Police Department says that they, along with the Tallahassee Fire Department, helped Phil get ready to go to the capital.
TPD posted the update on Facebook Thursday morning:
Officers say Phil had some coffee at the TFD fire station, showered, and got a fresh shave from Chop Killearn.
Thanks to a local Goodwill who provided some dress clothes, Phil, joined by TPD officers, was dressed to impress during his visit.
On Tuesday, Senator Marco Rubio's office offered to help Phil get his ID and Social Security card, so officers are there now helping Phil fill out paperwork. After that, they will work on talking to the McDonald's at 3438 Thomasville Road about an opportunity for Phil to work there.
Phil became an internet sensation after a video of TPD Officer Tony Carlson shaving Phil in order to help him get ready for a job interview went viral.
This story has made international headlines and is opening new doors for Phil, hopefully helping him land a job.
This is a developing story. Stay with us for details.
Marco Rubio's office offers to help man seen in viral video
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A homeless man shown in a viral video is one step closer to getting a job.
The touching video that has garnered thousands of views depicts the man, who's named Phil, being shaved by Officer Tony Carlson. Officer Carlson told us that it was all to help Phil land a job at the McDonald's at 3438 Thomasville Road.
Tuesday night, the Tallahassee Police Department shared an update from Officer Carlson:
After running into Phil on his day off, Officer Carlson told Phil that Senator Marco Rubio's office contacted him. They saw the story about Phil and wanted to help him get his ID and Social Security card so he could get hired at McDonald's.
They also said Phil could come by their office so they could help him with the process.
Officer Carlson says he's going to print out the paperwork they emailed to him when he goes to work on Thursday and bring it by for Phil to fill it out.
Man in viral video one step closer to job
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The kindness of a Tallahassee Police officer towards a homeless man Sunday has now been seen by thousands through social media.
The moment was captured outside a gas station convenience store and it could help that man land a job.
His wife was the first to let him know. She called him while he was still on his shift, asking he had shaved somebody. He told us he didn't do anything spectacular, but it's very possible he just helped someone in a big way.
"It happens all the time," said Officer Tony Carlson, the Tallahassee Police officer shown in the video. "It just so happens that this time, somebody caught it on film."
It's been seen more than 100,000 times on Facebook, Officer Tony Carlson helping a homeless man shave his beard.
"It was pretty thick, and I got it down to where it was manageable, and he could probably get a regular razor and finish it off," said Officer Carlson.
Officer Carlson was working on a call near the Circle K by the Thomasville Road flyover when he met Philip.
Police don't know his last name, but Officer Carlson said Philip explained he needed to shave to get a job at the McDonald's next door.
"I was like, 'You know, if he's wanting to help himself, I need to be more than helpful and try to help him out as best I can,'" said Officer Carlson.
Local radio show host Greg Tish caught up with Philip Sunday after the video and this photo went viral.
In an interview Tish posted on Facebook, Philip explained what McDonald's told him.
"If you can show me Monday that you can come in there with your beard shaved off -- you can keep your mustache -- and we'll put you to work," said Philip.
We spoke with the co-owner of that McDonald's location over the phone.
He said Philip came by the restaurant Monday and will work to get ID for the paperwork, so he can get an official job offer. He told us Philip's motivation would make him a good employee for a company striving to be America's best first employer.
"And that's really the spirit of that," said Raphael Vazquez, the co-owner of the McDonald's on 3438 Thomasville Road. "So, someone like him, Philip, where we see that -- it's definitely a desire inside that, you know, can be developed."
"If somebody else sees this, then when they can help somebody out, they think of it, and be like, you know, 'Let me help somebody,'" Office Carlson.
To give you an idea of the kind of guy Officer Carlson is, he came in to talk to us on his day off.
He said when he gets back to work on Thursday, he'll check in with Phil to get an update.
