Cool Kid Matthew Ligan volunteers at Midnight Mission

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Every month you will find Matthew Ligan cooking meals at Downtown LA's Midnight Mission. He also helps stack the food trays, washes dishes and serves up hot food for guests in need.

"The first time I was working here I had to stand on a tiny little milk crate to reach the tops when serving," said Ligan.

That's because Ligan was just 7 years old when he first started volunteering alongside his mother. Now, 10 years later, this senior at John F. Kennedy High School in Granada Hills arrives every third Saturday of each month.

"I don't get to see this type of community where I live," said Ligan. "And it's good to see, and good to help out the type of people that you don't get to connect with all the time."

Midnight Mission staff members say Ligan always has a positive attitude and is the first to jump in.

"He's always really into helping serve our community," said Joey Weinert, the Midnight Mission Volunteer Manager. "I see him with our guests, and he's always very compassionate, very loving and just a good human being."

This ABC7 Cool Kid now plans on pursuing a career in the film industry after high school, and says he will continue volunteering throughout his life.

"It makes me very happy to get to see all the smiling faces I get to see from the people that get served," said Ligan.