Caped crusader helps out homeless people

Austin Perine, 5, also cares for animals in shelters

WHEN Austin Perine puts on his cape, he says he feels happy, strong and ready to take on the world. The 5-year-old isn’t talking about pretend play. Austin has a real-life crusade: to save the world from homelessness.

For the past year, he has travelled around the US, feeding homeless people and supporting animals in shelters as part of his Show Love campaign. He also has another campaign in mind. Austin hopes to become US president one day to chase the bad guys and save people from going hungry.

“President Perine” turned up in Gaithersburg, Maryland, on Sunday for a Show Love event the Montgomery County Humane Society held to raise money to help animals in local shelters. There was a kissing booth featuring therapy dogs that Austin and local residents enjoyed. The dogs sat in the front row with the audience as Austin shared his story.

When he was 4 years old, he became curious after watching a red panda on television with his dad, TJ Perine.

“It all started when I was watching a mother panda and her cub. She left him, and I was concerned. My dad told me that the cub would be homeless,” Austin said.

Austin learnt that people can be homeless, too.

“He was fixated on the idea of homelessness and kept asking me questions,” TJ said.

He eventually took Austin to see what homelessness looked like in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. Austin realised he wanted to do more. Wearing his red cape – which a friend left behind from a play date – Austin and his dad started passing food out once a week.

He would run fast like the Flash, his favorite superhero, to hand people a sandwich and a drink.

“Don’t forget to show love,” he would say to each person, encouraging them to “pay it forward”.

The two did this for months before being noticed by media. Austin was awarded keys to the Alabama cities of Prichard and Mobile for his efforts in fighting hunger. Since then, support from big names has grown.

Austin has fed the homeless in more than a dozen cities such as San Juan, Puerto Rico, Washington, DC, and Seattle, Washington.

Not only is Austin a superhero, but he also is a two-time state champion wrestler in Alabama. He showed off his signature move, the “DDT lawn mower”, with local pro-wrestlers at the Show

Love event in Maryland.

TJ said he hoped his son’s enthusiasm inspired other kids.

“I would like the future to look like several President Austins taking the throne after he has grown up,” he said. “If there are younger kids that are 4 years old that want to be like him to make their communities better, then we have done our job.”

As for Austin, he said he wants to continue spreading the love “because it is the right thing to do”.

Picture: Washington Post Austin gives a hug to Tinkerbell, a therapy dog, at the Show Love Fest. The event raised money for shelter animals, another part of Austin’s campaign.