What could have turned into a porch theft confrontation in Philadelphia ended with a few words of kindness.

When Bernadette Williams noticed someone trying to steal a package from her neighbor’s porch, she did not respond with anger. Doorbell camera footage captured her calmly saying, “Put that down.”

Instead of escalating the moment, Williams reached into her pocket and gave the woman $7, the only cash she had with her.

For Williams, the choice came from compassion.

“I said, ‘She’s in trouble. How can I make a bad situation better?’ You have to be a part of the solution,” she told 6abc Action News.

Williams also offered encouragement, telling the woman, “Get some help. You’re better than that. I love you. God loves you.”

The woman apologized and thanked her. Williams later said she saw genuine remorse in the woman’s eyes.

“Her eyes of ‘I’m sorry.’ That was in her heart, and that’s what I read. I hope that she will be fine, and I have faith that she will be fine,” she said.

Williams, who said she has lived in the neighborhood for decades, said her response was rooted in community.

“We are a part of this community, and we can make our community better,” she said.

📸 credit: 6abc Philadelphia