The homeless man who inspired the faithful of a North Carolina church by leaving an 18 cent donation along with a touching message wishes to remain anonymous despite all of the publicity his act of kindness has received.
According to Ann Huskey, one of the organisers of the Muffin Ministry of the First United Methodist Church in Charlotte, the homeless man is not looking to become famous because of what he did. The Muffin Ministry is a weekly programme of the church to feed around 150 homeless people every Sunday.
"He's a very humble person he doesn't want to be noticed or recognised," Huskey said in an exclusive interview with People.
She said that with the simple deed, the homeless man was able to teach the faithful a valuable lesson.
"You can do anything – no matter how big or how little – as long as you're helping somebody. Everybody can do something to help those less fortunate than they are," she said.
Meanwhile, Pastor Patrick Hamrick, who has personally met with the man to thank him for his donation said that he also refused his offer to connect him with people who can help him financially.
"I said, 'There are people that are willing to help you financially. They are concerned about you,' " Hamrick said.
The man declined and made his intention clear. His gift was to be between him, the church and God.
Still, Hamrick is still hoping that the donor will agree to an introduction to a local businessman who wants to offer him a job.
The First United Methodist Church is located several blocks away from a shelter and for years, the church has embarked on projects to help the homeless.
A 2014 report by The National Alliance to End Homelessness, indicated that in the US, 633,782 individuals were suffering from homelessness of which 142,168 (22.1%) are children, 62,619 (13%) are veterans, and 269,991 (42.6%) on any given night.