Man gives stranger the boots off his feet, literally

Jessica Bell was on the Chicago subway Friday night on her way home from work. The attorney and advocate witnessed a spontaneous act of kindness which brought tears to her eyes. She snapped a quick cell phone photo and shared it on Facebook. 

It seems two men sat across from each other in the same subway car as Jessica. One, apparently homeless, was older, and his worn sneakers were folded down in the back so they could slip on and off like a pair of bedroom slippers. Jessica noticed he wore several pairs of socks, limited help against the cold Chicago winter. 

The man sitting across from him, later identified as Maurice Anderson, was younger. Not only was he dressed for the weather, he carried a suitcase containing a weekend worth of clothing. Bell reported that, before she could really register what was happening, Anderson asked the older man what size shoes he wore. Twelve, came the answer. So Anderson unlaced his own heavy black boots, size 12-1/2, and gave them to the man. From his suitcase, he pulled out a spare pair of shoes and slipped them on his own feet. Before he left the train, he gave the older man an extra pair of socks, too. 

Bell documented the kindness, and tracked Anderson down to thank him for his generosity. She later told reporters, “The reason I posted about Maurice is because we’ve all given, or see people give food, or money to the homeless. But I have never seen someone give the clothes off their back so unselfishly and so humbly.”