Homeless donor who moved the heart of a congregation wants to remain anonymous

 (videograb)

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.

News
Scotland’s assisted suicide vote: a temporary victory?
Scotland’s assisted suicide vote: a temporary victory?

It will be interesting to see if the Scottish government goes down the route of investing in quality palliative care, or whether Liam McArthur's defeated assisted suicide bill is simply resurrected in another form.

Nick Timothy stands by criticism of Muslim prayer in Trafalgar Square
Nick Timothy stands by criticism of Muslim prayer in Trafalgar Square

Shadow justice minister Nick Timothy is standing by claims that a mass Islamic prayer in Trafalgar Square was “a declaration of domination” that should never be repeated.

Britain’s culture of giving is becoming more 'fragile' as donations fall
Britain’s culture of giving is becoming more 'fragile' as donations fall

A major new report from the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) has raised fresh concerns about the state of charitable giving in the UK, showing that total public donations fell sharply in 2025 as fewer people gave and average gifts became smaller.

UK urged to press Nigeria on violence against Christians during historic Tinubu visit
UK urged to press Nigeria on violence against Christians during historic Tinubu visit

A coalition of Christian and human rights organisations has called on the UK government to use President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Britain to press for stronger protections for Christians and other vulnerable communities in Nigeria, amid continuing concern over deadly attacks and weak accountability.