Businessman Lee Houghton buys coffee for homeless man, forms incredible friendship

LEE HOUGHTON has bought coffee and breakfast for Simon - a homeless man - every day for the past four months - and received a beautiful card in return.

Lee Houghton shaking hands with Simon, a homeless British Big Issue vendor. Picture: UK Mirror

LEE Houghton knows that the art of giving should not just be confined to Christmas.

Every morning for the last four months, the British business analyst has been going out of his way to buy a coffee and croissant for Simon — a homeless Big Issue vendor he met on the way to work.

The pair — who are now friends — can be seen sharing their breakfast in the mornings outside a Norwich Pret A Manger (a healthy, gourmet chain based in the UK) on most days of the week, The UK’s Mirror reports.

Friends ... Lee Houghton shaking hands with Simon, a homeless British Big Issue vendor. Picture: UK Mirror

And now, Simon wants Lee to know how much his kindness has meant to him.

“A big thank you for your support. Merry Christmas, Simon,” the Big Issue vendor wrote inside a Christmas card that tore at the young business analyst’s heart.

Mr Houghton said he first noticed Simon because “he looked a bit cold”.

“So I asked him if he wanted coffee,” he told the newspaper.

Gratitude ... The Christmas card written by Simon, a homeless Big Issue seller in England, for Lee Houghton, a business analyst who bought him coffee and croissants for four months out of kindness. Picture: UK Mirror

Simon, who has nowhere to live, has been consigned to a life of sleeping on the streets, Mr Houghton said, “which pulls on the heartstrings.”

Mr Houghton said it felt good to “just have a chat with Simon”, who does not have many friends.

“He’s had a rough childhood,” Mr Houghton said.

“He does currently hold have a job as a Big Issue seller, but because of the rough childhood, he said he was trying to hold down a job he was offered, be he doesn’t have any education so he got let go.”

Upon seeing Mr Houghton’s kindness, Pret A Manger recently donated a free gift card to Simon to take some pressure off Mr Houghton.

“We were moved by Lee’s actions and the card from Simon. This Christmas, we’re hoping to raise a record amount for homeless charities thanks to the generosity of all our customers,” said Nicki Fisher, Head of Pret Foundation Trust.