Alabama 4-year-old using allowance to feed the homeless

A little boy from Hoover, Alabama is on a heartwarming mission to help people in need.

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Austin Perine may only be 4-years-old, but don't let his age fool you. He's one smart kid with some serious goals! Not only was he the youngest child to ever place in a state wrestling tournament for Alabama when he was 3, but he's also become a well-known public figure due to his desire to feed homeless people.

It all started when Austin was watching an animal show with his dad, TJ, and became curious about pandas leaving their cubs. 

"I told him they would be homeless for a while and then he asked if people were ever homeless," Mr. Perine told FOX 5's Katie Muse. "That peaked his interested about a 'homeless' person." 

As time progressed, Perine said his son started to wonder more about homeless people, and whenever they went for a drive he would point at anyone he saw and ask, "is that a homeless person?" 

Perine would tell his son no, then decided to take him to see an actual homeless person. The two drove to downtown Birmingham, and Austin's father took him to a homeless shelter. It was that very trip that inspired Austin to do something amazing. 

"They loved him," Perine said. "They were so nice to him." 

One man told the little boy he was down on his luck and praised the child for learning at a young age to not look down on people. Perine said Austin "felt great" about their visit, and said he wanted to go again. 

"Since then, he's been taking his allowance money to go feed the homeless," Perine said. 

Austin takes roughly $25 a week, money which he used to spend on toys, and puts his allowance toward people in need. He buys them food, drinks, and sometimes gives them a dollar or two. 

"People stop and say 'hey that kid you've got is really strong and smart,' which is really refreshing," Perine said. 

Perine said his son's motto is "show love" and he hopes other people feel inspired to do the same. 

"The world would be a better place if we had more Austins. He's kindhearted and he doesn't see fault. Even in me," his dad said. 

"I just wanna love people," Austin said on his public Facebook page, which is managed by his dad. To keep up with Austin's journey to help the homeless, follow him on Facebook. 

You can also donate to Austin's PayPal account if you'd like to see him help the homeless in your city.