An Atlanta police officer’s act of kindness has gone viral.

Officer S. Thomas was walking her beat in Zone 5 one day when she encountered a homeless man in a rainy grocery store parking lot and decided to buy him some shoes. Although the man disappeared, she caught up with the same man at a later date and presented him with the shoes.

“I was working my beat and I saw a man with no shoes on, or they were badly damaged. So, I asked him if he would still be here when I came back,” Thomas explained.

Thomas bought a pair of shoes and socks for the man but when she returned, he was nowhere to be found. She put the shoes in her trunk in case she ran into the man again.

Days later, she encountered the same man, still barefoot, and offered him the shoes instead.

“I’m a sneakerhead,” Thomas said. “I love shoes, so sometimes I may put shoes in my trunk to give to people who may need them. It’s never a time I don’t think of others.”

According to the City of Atlanta Police Department, the interaction was filmed by a random bystander, and eventually blew up on social media.

Thomas’ body worn camera was not on at the time according to police, and she was not looking for any publicity. 

The department’s Facebook post about the incident read: “She simply saw a person with a need that she could fill and did so. Officers with APD routinely show care and consideration to the citizens of the City of Atlanta and perform random acts of kindness without seeking applause. These interactions never make the news. These deeds are just part of any given day for our men and women in blue.”

Thomas told WSBTV the reason she loves giving to others. “I haven’t always been able to give. So that now that I am able to, I just like to help,” she explained emotionally.