This week’s Jefferson Award recipient is an Army veteran who feeds hundreds of families in San Francisco every week, continuing to live a life of service into his 80s.
It functions similarly to a well-maintained machine. 350 families receive cases of fresh produce that are divided by volunteers.
The afternoon assembly line is supervised by Robert Mason. He follows a straightforward guideline.
Mason told CBS News Bay Area, “Everyone, if they think about it, they have something to give to others.”
Mason, who is 85 years old, is in charge of the free groceries distribution at his San Francisco church, Temple United Methodist. He assisted in establishing the food pantry more than 20 years ago in collaboration with the SF Marin Food Bank.
“I was raised in a church. If you can, I believe it’s natural to want to help others,” he remarked.
Mason spent 33 years in the Army, serving in Japan, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Similar to a spy, the sergeant-major eavesdropped on the radio conversations of the North Koreans.
“I ended up being a morse code interceptor,” he laughed.
He’s snatching hungry these days.
Mason volunteers daily, primarily delivering food to the homebound and distributing supplies at the food pantry. Additionally, he has at least ten years of Food Runners service.
He keeps tabs on the statistics at the food pantry to ensure that no one goes hungry and that nothing is wasted.
He credits his military upbringing for his modesty and careful record-keeping.
“When you get these skills, whatever you’re doing, it all comes natural,” Mason said.
He received a plaque for giving away a million pounds of free goods years ago, but he has no idea how much more he has given away since.
“A gazillion? “I’m not sure,” he laughed.
He is aware that there are large lines for the weekly pickups and that there are 21 families on the waiting list.
For her family of three, Crystal is appreciative of the fresh food.
According to her, “every time we go grocery we pay a lot, so it really helps the family,” she told CBS News Bay Area.
Mason is an all-around volunteer that the church cannot function without, according to veteran volunteer Ruth Rogers.
If the furnaces don’t turn on, he’s one of those folks who knows where to look. We can adjust the timing of the outdoor lighting because he knows where the light switches are,” she said.
Mason encourages people to follow him while he helps.
“They have to look at what they have versus what other people don’t have, and what they could do to help someone else have a better life,” he stated.
Robert Mason is the recipient of this week’s Jefferson Award in the Bay Area for his community service in providing food.
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