Good Samaritan Gives Homeless Man Winter Boots Off His Feet
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A man riding the CTA gave a homeless man the shoes off his own feet, and the act of kindness is getting a ton of attention on social media.
"I usually don't even post things publicly, but this was the type of post that I wanted people to see," said Jessica Bell, who witnessed and captured the exchange on the Red Line.
Bell took a picture of a homeless man taking off worn, holy sneakers and putting on a pair of warm winter boots, which were given to him by a stranger.
Maurice Anderson said he wasn't having a good day Friday. He works in Kentucky because he could not find an elevator tech job in Chicago and he was coming home for the weekend to see his 9-year-old daughter. But, his flight from Kentucky was delayed twice, and now he was coming home late at night on the CTA Red Line. Then he saw a homeless man with raggedy gym shoes, so Anderson gave him the boots off his feet.
"He was bleeding through his socks. So my gut said, take them off and give them to him," Maurice Anderson said. "I asked him what size shoe he wears. He said 12. I wear 12, as well."
Bell said Anderson's gesture touched her heart, as she's the founder of Project Bleeding Love. The organization raises money to supply homeless women with feminine hygiene products.
"He literally, in the moment, took the shoes off of his feet and just handed them over," she said. "It was just so selfless. It was so quiet. It was so humble -- was really what touched me about what Maurice did."
Bell said she's heard from people as far away as India after they saw her post. She hopes the message of kindness continues to spread, and others are inspired by Anderson's actions.
As of Monday evening, the post had been shared 14,000 times and had 27,000 likes on Facebook.
