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Homeless 'Shoeshine Man' Back In Business

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: A man gets a shoeshine on a street corner.
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SF's Homeless 'Shoeshine Man' Back In Business

Larry Moore has been homeless for years, living under storefront overhangs, and most recently, under a highway bridge.

About six months ago, he had had enough and started shining shoes as way to get his life back in order. The grand plan -- to make enough money to get into local housing, CBS station KPIX-TV reported.

At the corner of New Montgomery and Market Street in San Francsico, Moore wears a pair of slacks, a nice dress shirt and a tie. He became known to passersby as the best-dressed shoeshiner in the city.

Moore's venture was moving along nicely, but when the Department of Public Works learned that a new business was running without proper permits, they started coming down on him.

"I'm homeless, trying to pay my own way, and was just [surprised] that I couldn't get on my feet," Moore reacted.

Being a good citizen, Moore complied with city laws because he didn't want to be treated any different than other street businesses. So he gave up every penny he had earned in the process to pay for a permit and had to delay his plans to find a roof over his head.

Moore's plight was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle last week and readers responded immediately.

Hundreds of customers flooded his make-shift stand with shoes and money in hand. The politicians starting show up too, and before you could say "Shine Mister," Larry had reassurances that the city was ready to help him.

After collecting nearly $1,000 from so many new clients, Moore was finally able to pay his way into some temporary housing.

His only problem now, though, is getting readjusted to the comforts that many of us take for granted. Since he'd been on the streets for so long, Moore said he just couldn't sleep in a bed.

"I tossed and turned for hours… so I threw everything on the floor and made a pallet and was out like a light," he said, noting it was the best sleep he's had in years.

Travis See runs the Custom Shop, an upscale clothier on the corner of New Montgomery and Market, and said this couldn't have happened to a better guy.

"He's done nothing but add to the corner. He's done nothing but add to people's experience. He's just a good guy," See explained.

Moore is now a local hero, with fans stopping by to chat. Joey Moreland was visiting from Mississippi for a conference. He said he read about Larry's plight and had to meet him.

"I thought it was just a perfect example of how people can just bootstrap themselves, so it's never too late to do more," Moreland observed.

That, too, is Moore's message, that anyone can succeed as long as they try.

"Don't give up, there's always hope. And that's my biggest thing -- there's always hope for every individual," Moore concluded.