Louisiana boy Kelvin Ellis Jr. got a shopping spree after giving a dollar to a man he thought was homeless

Sometimes an act of kindness is not a reward in itself.

A 9-year-old Louisiana boy was treated to a shopping spree after donating his only dollar to a man he thought was homeless.

Without thinking, Kelvin Ellis Jr. made the generous offer last month after spotting the disheveled-looking man standing outside a Baton Rouge cafe.

The stranger was in pajamas and had his eyes closed.

“If you’re homeless, here’s a dollar,” the youngster recalled, according to CBS News.

But the man wasn’t homeless after all: he was local sporting goods store owner Matt Busbice.

Busbice — who has built and sold several outdoor businesses worth hundreds of millions of dollars — found himself outside that morning in mismatched clothes after being forced out of his apartment complex by a blaring fire alarm .

The 42-year-old BuckFeather owner decided to go get a cup of coffee while waiting, but had stopped outside to say his morning prayers.

“And I started to slowly open my eyes, and there’s a kid coming towards me, about my height,” Busbice said.

Busbice noticed the boy had a clenched fist and prepared for a confrontation – until Kelvin opened his hand to reveal the single bill.

He had earned that dollar a few days earlier thanks to his good grades, he said.

Even though it was the only money he had, Kelvin was eager to pass it on to someone he believed needed it the most.

“I always wanted to help a homeless person and I finally had the opportunity,” Kelvin said.

Busbice was so touched that he invited Kelvin over for a snack and contacted the boy’s father before eventually inviting the kind-hearted child on a shopping trip to his sporting goods store.

Kelvin had 40 seconds to choose what he wanted in BuckFeather, including a new bike.

Although happy with the bike, Kelvin said he wasn’t looking for reward when he gave up his dollar.

“Joy, because I helped someone,” Kelvin said. “Give something and you feel like you get a lot out of it.”

Kelvin’s compassion inspired Busbice, who said the boy restored his faith in humanity.

“If you give, you’ll get more,” Busbice said. “I couldn’t understand that when I was a kid. And if we can spread that, everything changes.