For 13 Years, This Woman From Long Beach Has Fed The Hungry

LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com) — A Long Beach woman has spent the last 13 years feeding the hungry, even dipping into her Social Security checks to get the job done.

Alice Robinson, 78, is behind the free hot lunch provided to homeless and hungry residents on the first Wednesday of every month at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Park in north Long Beach.

"I feel great when I see them come and get the food," said Robinson, who has been feeding the hungry in her neighborhood park for 13 years.

The daughter of Tuscaloosa Alabama sharecroppers, she says she was inspired to feed the hungry by her own mother.

"My mom, she would always fix food for everybody that came to our house," she said. "She never let anybody go away hungry. They always ate before they left."

The retired factory worker started out buying and cooking the food herself.

She has some help now with a team now with a team of 15 volunteers, but much of the money still comes from her own pocket.

"I get a few donations but I give part of my Social Security money," she said.

Her family supports her work.

"My mother has always been very giving, and we support her no matter what," said Rosie Robinson-Cade, her daughter. "We decided if that's what she wants to do, that we would support her."

Typically, Robinson and her team feed anywhere from 75 to 100 people every month.

"I don't turn anybody away," she said. "It's something I like doing and I want to continue doing it as long as I can."

When she can no longer do it, her grandson is ready to take over.

"It's going to be a goal of mine to keep the program going even after she's no longer able to do it," said Patrick Hodgson, her grandson.

For now, she says she's ready for another 13 years of feeding the hungry.