Everything Under The Sun: United In Kindness

Stephen Humphris (left) and Faris Khalifa.

It was a regular day on the run of the 86 Arriva bus through Liverpool city center. Thirty-three year-old Stephen Humphris, an ex-serviceman, was driving the bus on Tuesday. Along the route, the bus stopped at a spot that wasn't a regular stop. The driver handed a £5 note to one of the passengers, whom he asked to give it to an elderly man struggling along in the pouring rain.

The passenger who assisted bus driver Mr. Humphris with his gift happened to be Faris Khalifa, who said, "He called me over, handed me a £5 note, and asked me to give it to an elderly homeless man across the street. It was the most amazing thing." Mr. Khalifa and the rest of the passengers were very impressed with the spontaneous gift. Mr. Khalifa continued, "There are people out there who are infinitely less fortunate. He [the driver] made mine and many other people's day."

The driver's kind act took only a few moments, but Faris couldn't get what happened out of his mind. So, he made a decision that would end up with giving back a reward to the bus driver in gratitude for his actions. It ended up involving requests from business acquaintances and friends in the center of the city.

Mr. Khalifa reported, "Everyone I spoke to, without hesitation, donated the coolest things ever. A bottle of rum from The Jacaranda; a basket of cheese from the Liverpool Cheese Company; two membership cards and a bar tab from Independent Liverpool; a voucher for a dinner for two from Mr. Myagi's. People have come forward offering all kinds to do their bit."

The gifts were gathered and arranged in an attractive hamper. Then came tracking down Mr. Humphris, under the guise of presenting him with a thank you card. Finally the two men met again and Mr. Khalifa was able to give him the Christmas hamper.

Obviously, Stephen was very surprised. He said, "It's amazing to be noticed for little deeds, but the main message is to help people less fortunate than us. I'd like to say a big thanks to Faris, who is an amazing man. As an ex-soldier, homelessness is a subject very close to me. A massive amount of servicemen come out of the army with mental health problems and end up on the streets. It's about getting more people to recognize these issues."

It turns out that Mr. Khalifa has had his own set of experiences. He was a refugee from The Sudan, who is also a musician and writer. He shared, "I came here as an asylum seeker and lived in children's homes, so charity has played a massive part in my upbringing, mostly on the receiving end."

Faris Khalifa at home.

Two men, on the same bus, with kind thoughts and behaviors that followed, may have come from two different places in the world, but found out they could be brought together through acts of kindness. What could be better than that? By the way, Stephen had another act of kindness up his sleeve. He had brought his army sleeping bag to work and handed it over to Faris to give it to someone in need when he got to city center.