Officer Jackie Selinger's son, Luciano, posted a photo on our Facebook page along with a reminder about how giving shouldn't end after the holidays.
In bustling Union Square, homeless people are sometimes overlooked during the holidays. But not by Officer Selinger, who recently spotted a homeless woman sitting in front of a Skechers shoe store.
"She was holding a sign, she needed shoes," Officer Selinger said. "So I looked down at her feet and I could see she had some really flimsy looking slippers on."
The woman told the officer that homeless shelters, which donate shoes, never have anything that fits her size 12 feet.
"I just thought about my family and the fact that we have so much," Officer Selinger said.
So this cop offered to buy the woman something she desperately needed.
"She says to me, 'You know, I'll take anything,'" Officer Selinger said. "She felt like it was a little expensive at Skechers, so she says, 'we can walk down to the Payless store.' You could see she was a real humble lady."
We learned about the story when Officer Selinger's son Luciano secretly took pictures of the impromptu shopping trip at the Skechers store and posted them on our ABC7 News Facebook page.
"She had already done it," Luciano said. "It was completely her decision, there was no one was watching her. And, I admire my mom for that."
Store manager Jerome Jackson says the woman chose an all-weather boot for $69. The kind gesture prompted him to help out too
"I offered my own employee discount for the officer to purchase the shoes," Jackson said. When asked why, he said, "It's the holiday season. You know, I did feel bad for the lady that was in front of the store."
"I didn't really get her name," Officer Selinger said. "I didn't want to embarrass her."
But the woman's reaction to the gift was all this officer needed.
"It was just in her mannerisms that I could tell she was really grateful," Officer Selinger said. "It that was better than a thank you in my eyes."
This humble police officer did not want the publicity.
We attempted to find the woman with the new boots somewhere in Union Square, but no luck.
