Meals, Dignity, and Community on Wheels

Affordable housing and homelessness

South LA Central LA West LA City of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a citywide benefit) Other

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Los Angeles faces a growing crisis of food insecurity and homelessness, with thousands of unhoused youth and adults living in deep poverty. Traditional systems often miss people who do not or cannot access shelters, clinics, or formal intake. For many, the barriers to support include long waitlists, stigma, documentation requirements, and a lack of trust. Families and youth living on the street are often invisible, disconnected from care, stability, and dignity. In the absence of accessible public infrastructure, nourishment, emotional support, and reliable community presence become critical lifelines.

Good Karma operates a mobile community kitchen that delivers trauma-informed, plant-based nourishment and emotional support directly to unhoused and food-insecure people across Los Angeles. Every weekend, we meet people where they are: on sidewalks, in tents, and outside shelters, offering hot meals, care kits, clean water, books, toys, and a sense of belonging. We serve 15 to 30 children per distribution, along with families, transition-age youth, and older adults. Our model is built on consistency, trust, and community-rooted care.
This grant will support weekly meal distributions and care kit drives in Skid Row, Pasadena, South LA, and other high-need neighborhoods including those impacted by wildfires. Our meals are fully plant-based, nourishing bodies while modeling sustainability and cultural inclusivity. We also distribute pet food, host book-sharing stations, and provide toys and comfort items to children. All of this work is carried out by an all-volunteer team grounded in lived experience, mutual respect, and deep community ties.

If successful, LA County will have a dignified, community-led response to food insecurity and homelessness that meets people where they are and centers long-term wellness over crisis intervention. People who are often invisible to traditional systems will receive consistent support, nutritious meals, and compassionate care. Families, youth, and elders living outdoors will feel seen, valued, and less alone. This work lays the groundwork for broader systems change, proving that street-based, trauma-informed models rooted in trust and routine can foster resilience, connection, and healing.