‘Sandwich Man’ Spends His Nights Feeding The Homeless [Video]

Allan Law, a 69-year-old man from Minneapolis, is called the “Sandwich Man.” He spends his nights driving around Minneapolis, giving out sandwiches and basic necessities to the homeless and needy in the area.

Law is a former teacher, and now that he’s retired, he spends his time making other people’s lives better. According to The Huffington Post, Law started doing his good deed 14 years ago. His night starts at 8 p.m., and he drives around offering food to the homeless when support centers and shelters are already closed. He does this until noon the following day.

Allan is suffering from arthritis, and he fought prostate cancer in 2013, but that didn’t stop him from going out and giving out sandwiches.

“People say, ‘you’re crazy,’ and I say ‘No. If I was homeless, or if I had a couple little kids that needed food or something, I would appreciate someone coming, giving a helping hand.'”

During the day, Allan goes around and collects sandwiches that are prepared by volunteers. He works with an organization called the Minneapolis Recreation Development, Inc. According to Edina Magazine, Law gives out more than sandwiches. He also gives out mittens, baby formula, bus tokens, blankets, and money for medical co-pays.

Law’s apartment has 17 freezers that he uses to keep sandwiches fresh. He has no bed, since he never spends nights at home. He shared more of his views on what he does in an interview in April this year.

“I’ve always been against publicity. I wanted to spend my life helping people without recognition. Am I glad I’m working 18 hours a day? No. But when you see a need you do it. It’s a strange life. I realized if I had accepted publicity 40 years ago we would probably have a facility some place. But I would never be there. I’d be on the street helping people.”

Law is so against publicity that he didn’t want to get the McKnight Foundation Human Service award in person, as he didn’t want to leave his duty of helping people even just for a day. He has also received several other recognitions, including the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Gold Medallion.

Last year alone, Law said that he delivered around 520,000 sandwiches. Law’s work has made him one of the subjects of a documentary entitled The Starfish Throwers, which follows the lives of three people, who are out to fight hunger in the streets.

[Image via Edina Magazine]