Maybe all superheroes don’t wear capes, but this four-year-old boy definitely does. Austin Perine may not be an Avenger or part of the Justice League, but he does have some special powers – that of feeding the homeless and making sure people “show love”.
The boy from Birmingham, Alabama, USA (video above) likes to spend one day each week delivering meals to as many homeless people as possible, using his allowance and the money that his father might have spent to buy him toys or games. And, like most superheroes, he does have a superhero name – “President Austin”. As his father TJ Perine told CBS News, “That’s his idea of what the president is supposed to do.”
What motivates such a young child to fight homelessness and help strangers? According to CBS and Austin’s father, it all started with pandas. They were watching a TV show about a young panda who became homeless after being abandoned by his mother. A precocious Austin asked his father what “homeless” meant. TJ apparently told him, “It’s when you don’t have a home and sometimes you don’t have mom or dad around.” Austin understood that the same could also happen to people.
That was the moment the four-year-old decided to save the neighbourhood with his caped crusades. From then on, his allowance was spent on chicken sandwiches instead of toys and soon, President Austin had raised more than $26,000 (and counting) towards his mission. The funds were raised via his PayPal account as well as a GoFundMe page.
But it isn’t just about feeding the homeless for this red-caped hero. After giving out each sandwich, Austin also reminds each person, “Don’t forget to show love”.
The little superhero has himself been showered with love and support (perhaps more than the actual President of US) for his cause. You can watch more of his work below:
Buy an annual Scroll Membership to support independent journalism and get special benefits.
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!