For one Washington state school bus driver, the route he drives every day to take students to and from school isn’t just a job, it’s a passion. The grandfather and U.S. Army veteran has become a hero to some of the kids he has taken care of on his route, not because he’s an exceptional driver, of course he may be that too, but because of his kind hearted actions.

The weather in Washington can be brutal during the winters. Kids bundle up in heavy winter coats, stocking caps, and gloves to ward off the cold and stay warm when they ride the bus. John Lunceford is the driver of one of the buses that runs every day picking up kids to go to school, and he has to bundle up too being right there by the door that opens and closes as each student boards the bus.

One particular morning John recalls a little boy who got on the bus with his face and hands bright red from the cold and tears streaming down his face. The boy didn’t have a hat or gloves to keep him warm while waiting for the bus to arrive. John quickly pulled off his own gloves, put them on the little hands, and told the boy it would be alright and that he would take care of him.

After dropping the students off at the school, John vowed that none of the kids on his route would ever be without the clothing they needed to stay warm. He headed to the dollar store where he grabbed gloves and a hat for the little boy from that morning, as well as ten more sets, some pink and some black, so he could give them to any of the students that got on his bus without the winter gear.

John headed back to the school, and with the help of the principal, he was able to track down the little boy from that morning. He found him in the library and gave him the gloves and hat to keep as his own. He also made an announcement saying that any of the kids on his route who needed gloves or a hat could have one any time, all they had to do was let him know they needed them.

One little girl spoke up that she didn’t have a hat. John handed her a hat and told her it was ok; he’d take care of her. “No one wants a kid to suffer like that,” John said.

The Kennewick School District posted the story about John and his efforts on their Facebook page, and donations poured in to assist his efforts. His story has been shared over 3,400 times. What a hero John has become by helping his pint-sized passengers.