An Alaska restaurant helped feed the homeless at a shelter on Christmas Day, as more than 500 people were treated to a hot meal, KTVA reported.

For the volunteers dishing out food from the Bean Cafe in Anchorage, it is a chance to give back to the community and help people in need.

“Everyone is happy, it's Christmas,” Caroline Compton told KTVA. “They get (a) hot meal, a place to stay. It's festive and we get to meet a lot of nice people you may not get to meet in another way.”

Compton’s daughter, Stephanie Compton, works for AmeriCorps and has been volunteering at Bean’s Café. Over the past two months, she’s seen how little gestures, like a holiday meal, can make difference.

“There's a lot of stigma about homeless people in Anchorage,” Stephanie Compton said. “Bean's Cafe serves clients without discrimination. We feed anyone and everyone.”

Stephanie Compton said Christmas has always been a big holiday for her family so she’s happy her parents are volunteering.

“It's fun to see them around and working hard. They really taught me how to give back and share my privilege so it's awesome to have them here leading by example,” she said.

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