After overhearing a conversation in a discount store, Lito Mason offered to buy shoes for a young man whose mother could not afford it, and completely saves the day.

* Image in feature uses photo by Adrian Regeci on Unsplash

Being a single mother is hard, and no one knows that more than Malisa Manguso, the single mom of two young boys.

In July 2019, Malisa brought her oldest son Zach to a discount shop in Idaho to buy him a new pair of shoes. His old shoes were worn down and nearly unwearable, but Malisa only had enough room in her budget to buy 11-year-old Zach a pair that cost $20 or less.

I had the same shoes for about nine months and the bottoms of them were destroyed.

Zach to KTVB

Malisa explained to her son that he had a budget of $20, so he needed to be thoughtful about what shoes he chose. Unbeknownst to her at the time, a man was standing nearby, listening.

Why a Stranger Stepped in to Help a Single Mom in Need of Shoes

Photo by Artiom Vallat on Unsplash

Lito Mason was also at the store to buy shoes and caught a bit of Malisa’s conversation with her son.

“She was working with a budget and I get that, we all get that at this time of the year, back to school,” Lito said. “I asked him, ‘So what type of shoes do you like?’ He said ‘I just want something that’s comfortable.’ I was done! At that point, I said I’m going to get him whatever he wants.”

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When Lito stepped in, Malisa was in awe: “He just out of the blue looked at me and said, ‘I tell you what, that kid has to have good shoes on his feet and has to be looking good to go to junior high. You just pick out the shoes, and don’t worry about the price,’” Malisa told KTVB. “For the first time in a long time, I saw Zachary light up, and be so happy.”

How One Man’s Unexpected Act of Kindness Went Viral

Photo by Paul Volkmer on Unsplash

Later, Malisa shared the photo she took of Zach and Lito on Facebook, and the post received a lot of love.

“How sweet! What a wonderful man,” one Facebook user commented.

Not only did the post spread Lito’s kindness with others, it showed Lito the reactions to his compassionate deed. After someone recognized Lito in the photo, they tagged him in the post.

I didn’t realize it was going to be such a big deal. To see me plastered all over the internet? I’m really a shy guy. It’s just something I wanted to do.

Lito Mason

Lito was not motivated by fame or fortune, but pure kindness.

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“For one time in his life, I didn’t want him to worry about a price,” Lito said, “and it was simple as that.”

The moment Lito pitched in to buy a young boy a pair of shoes, he didn’t just help a stranger get new sneakers, he showed a struggling single mother that there are people in the world willing to help. Lito’s gesture reminds us that there are people struggling, and if we can help them, we must.

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