ORLANDO, Fla. — Hundreds of homeless people in Orlando are getting the help they need from a man who was once in their shoes.

• Orlando man earning his halo by helping as many as he can
• Everyday Hero Michael Ponder hands out meals, prayers
• MORE EVERYDAY HEROES: Nominate a hero you know

Every week, Michael Ponder and his family go to the Parramore area just east of downtown Orlando with more than 100 meals. 

On a recent day, he's set up just down the street from the Orlando City soccer stadium. Within minutes, word spreads across the community, and a line forms before the first box of chicken is handed out.

"I feel my passion is people. I like to get involved in helping people from all backgrounds and all different parts of life," Ponder said. "So what they got to do is hear... that we're here, because I know that we care about them, so they’ll come wherever."

Ponder moved to Central Florida about two years ago.

"I was dead asleep one day and at night, I woke up and God told me that I need to work on my halo," Ponder said. "And I asked, 'What do you mean by that?' And that's when it was really spelled out really simple for me to do."

Ponder calls his famiy's effort HALO, which stands for Helping And Loving Others.

His wife and daughters and family friends coordinate time off from their jobs so they can hand out food to people who need it.

"It's almost like it's Christmas," said Michael's wife, Mary. "Some people cry, and you will think that to us, is this a box of food. But to them it's like a really big deal."

Ponder knows what that's like. He was homeless when he was a teenager. Along with the meal, he has a message of encouragement.

One man just lost his mother.

"You want me to pray for you?" Ponder asked and quickly followed with a prayer. "Heavenly Father, we pray Lord that you will comfort him, Lord. I pray that you will give him the strength to deal with the loss of his mother."

Ponder says the hardest part of what he does is not being able to feed everyone. 

He says every single time when the meals are gone, there's someone who still asks for one. And that's when Ponder often reaches further into his own wallet.

"Unfortunately, (it's) not enough, but we hope to inspire other people to do so as well."