Here is a concise summary of the provided text:
**Title:** "What Would You Do?" - Experiment on Helping the Homeless
**Setup:** A TV show ("What Would You Do?") conducts an experiment at a coffee shop (Espresso Yourself, St. Louis, MO) to observe how customers react when a "homeless" person (actor Tommy) is treated poorly by the shop's "manager" (also an actor) after being given free food by an employee.
**Key Observations:**
* Many customers show empathy and kindness towards the "homeless" person, offering to pay for his food or giving him money.
* Some customers defend the employee's decision to give free food, while others understand the manager's perspective on not wanting to encourage homelessness.
* One customer, a self-described poor student, goes above and beyond to help the "homeless" person, even leaving the shop to sit with him after being offended by the manager's behavior.
**Conclusion:** The experiment highlights the generosity and kindness of strangers in the face of adversity, as well as the complexities of addressing homelessness.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text, each with a number and in short sentences:
1. **Homelessness projection**: A Columbia University projection estimates a 40-45% increase in homelessness by year's end due to the pandemic.
2. **Unemployment spike**: There has been a sharp spike in unemployment due to the pandemic.
3. **Cafe Vita incident**: Employees at Cafe Vita in Seattle were fired for giving food to the homeless, sparking protests.
4. **Cafe Vita new ownership**: Cafe Vita is now under new ownership with a welcoming policy to everyone.
5. **"What Would You Do" TV show**: The text is based on a social experiment for the TV show "What Would You Do" with host John Quinones.
6. **Experiment location**: The experiment was conducted at "Espresso Yourself" coffee and cafe in Saint Louis, Missouri.
7. **Actors involvement**: Actors (Leah, Bianca, and Tommy) were part of the experiment, with Tommy playing a homeless man.
8. **Experiment scenario**: The scenario involved Tommy being offered free food and the reactions of customers and a mock manager.
9. **Customer reactions varied**: Reactions ranged from kindness and generosity to disagreement with helping the homeless.
10. **Manager's role in the experiment**: The "manager" opposed giving free food to the homeless, citing it as not being a charity.
11. **Participants' reflections**: After the experiment, participants shared their motivations for helping or not helping, often citing personal experiences and empathy.