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Dad on Train Notices Homeless Man's Frostbitten Feet, Takes off Brand New $260 Boots

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To some, he might be the kind of man you don’t notice. His clothing might be tattered and he might look a bit dirty, as if he hasn’t been able to wash or do laundry for a while.

But one evening when he was riding the CTA Redline, two people did notice him. Fellow passenger Jessica Bell shared the story on Facebook about noticing him and noticing the remarkable act of kindness another passenger did for him.

Bell described the homeless gentleman as “older, weathered, minding his own business.”

She added that his swollen feet were encased in multiple pairs of blood-soaked socks and “tattered gym shoes” that were more like slip-on shoes because the backs were “folded down.”

A man sitting near him, identified by ABC 7 NY as Maurice Anderson, saw the man’s feet and after being told by the homeless man that they might be frostbitten, asked what size shoes he wore.

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To Anderson’s surprise, both he and the homeless man wore size 12 shoes. Without hesitation, Anderson removed his own new, $260 winter boots and gave them to the homeless man.

Then opening his suitcase, Anderson pulled out a pair of socks and gave them to the man, as well. Anderson told him to be sure to clean his feet and change into the new socks as soon as he could.

Bell watched as the act of kindness took place, marveling at how Anderson pulled a nice pair of shoes out of his suitcase to put on his own feet.

They were not as nice as the boots and he could have given them to the homeless man, but instead gave the better footwear to him.

Bell told CBS Chicago she was inspired to share the story publicly on Facebook, something she rarely does, because it was the kind of thing she “wanted the world to see.”

Anderson had a suitcase with him because the single dad had been visiting his daughter in Chicago. Currently living and working in Kentucky, he hopes to move back to Chicago when he can find work there.

ABC 7 NY reported that Anderson regularly gives clothing to the homeless.

But Bell also has a tie-in with the homeless community, according to CBS Chicago, being the founder of Project Bleeding Love, which provides feminine hygiene products to homeless women.



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With winter here and extraordinary cold blasts hitting the country, random acts of kindness toward the homeless are making headlines.

Perhaps it is because, as Bell told ABC 7 NY, “during a time when hate and apathy are rampant, quiet compassion appears without warning.”

For Anderson, the motivation is simply a matter of choosing to “help rather than judge” those in need. He added that he “can’t say anything” if he personally isn’t doing something to be part of the solution by helping others.

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