Anonymous activists, one wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, hand out plates of hot food to homeless residents at folding tables set up on a Cincinnati street during an OpSafeWinter event.

Anonymous confirms it is indeed Robin Hood, delivering the largest response yet to #OpSafeWinter. The operation goes by many names around the world — #OpFeedHomeless, OpNatal in Brazil, OpELE in France, #OpXmas in Canada, OpHelpingHand in Venezuela, #OpUnaManoAmiga elsewhere. With so many facets and so many targets for aid, the broad goal is clear: help those in need survive, not just through harsh winters, but year-round. Operations like this are proving that Anonymous and its associated activists have become major players in the humanitarian assistance arena.

When Anonymous makes headlines, it's usually because they're on the front lines of a riot, protesting another police killing of an unarmed person, staging a worldwide demonstration, publishing a major hack-and-leak of government information, or because one of the activists associated with the collective has been indicted by a federal grand jury. So what are they doing when they aren't fighting back against rampant government corruption? Helping to alleviate its symptoms, of course.

Last weekend, as part of an ongoing campaign to keep the less fortunate safe during the bitter winter months, Anonymous activists in Cincinnati held an event to feed the homeless. These events take place all over the country, and the campaign has been running longer than anyone can really remember. It's organized under the hashtags #OpSafeWinter, #OpHelpingHands, #OpHumanAngels, and #OpFeedTheHomeless.

This particular event was put on by Awakened Cincinnatians, a local branch of the international collective, with representatives from several other activist groups lending a hand. Volunteers served the needy barbecue chicken, potatoes, vegetables, and pizza; hygiene products and warm clothing were also handed out. The number of meals provided ranged anywhere from 200 to 300 — my best personal guess would be about 250.

The atmosphere was noticeably different from a typical soup kitchen; people stayed in the area and chatted while listening to music.

The Cincinnati Police Department did their part by staying out of the way — none of the activists could recall an incident where police caused any problem for the event. It appeared local officers understood that a police presence tends to scare off people who might need a meal, and largely avoided the area. In many parts of the country, local law enforcement operates under orders from city government to shut down events organized to feed the homeless. In those areas, Anonymous still organizes the events, but structures them as quick affairs — a van or SUV pulls up, delivers food, and disappears back into traffic before anyone can intervene.

Events like this — along with actions targeting online child predators — have helped craft the Robin Hood image that's earning the collective so much support. Anonymous isn't made up of troublemakers who simply hate authority and want to fight cops; it's made up of people who will stand outside for hours with snow on the ground to feed those in need. I recognized at least three of the activists at the Cincinnati event from Ferguson. Another five or six had participated in shutting down Washington, D.C. during last November's Million Mask March.

Like many of the collective's activities, this event didn't change the world. But it might have stopped someone from freezing to death, and it filled the bellies of hundreds who might otherwise have gone without.

Victims of sexual abuse, the homeless, victims of police brutality, and victims of government overreach know they can turn to Anonymous for help. Anonymous has shown that it will protect the least fortunate and most victimized members of society. The next time you sit on a jury and are asked by prosecutors to convict an activist affiliated with Anonymous of a cybercrime offense, or for failing to comply with a law enforcement officer, remember: this week, that person may have refused to obey a cop or shut down a website. Next week, the same defendant might be protecting your son or daughter from predators, feeding the "black sheep" of your family, or stopping a police department from sweeping a rape under the rug.