“I love you:” three words, eight letters, one meaning, said in so many ways and shown in countless forms. For Jaden Smith, rapper, philanthropist, and son of acclaimed actor Will Smith, “I love you” is a movement.
On his 21st birthday in 2019, Smith launched The I Love You Company, a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles that serves underprivileged communities like Skid Row. The initiative began on wheels, with food trucks providing donated clothing and free meals to those in need. Smith and his co-founding chef, Tabitha Leeper, crafted a vegan menu offering the most accessible and healthiest food options without the burden of cost; at every event, up to 500 hot vegan meals and bottles of water are distributed.
Downtown LA’s Skid Row spans several blocks and is home to between 8,000 and 11,000 homeless individuals. The highly concentrated area is overflowing with shelters, with many living in makeshift tents. Over time, it has become one of the United States’ largest hubs for homeless populations. Much of the socio-economic strife on Skid Row stems from a long history of drug abuse and mental health issues, leaving many residents stuck in systemic poverty. As a result, an estimated 17,000 to 40,000 people die from homelessness each year and are never counted as part of the nation’s total mortality rate.
Smith was driven to launch the I Love You restaurant due to the significantly inadequate living conditions of homeless people across the U.S., especially in his home state of California. “I want to make sure people are fed and feel cared for,” said Smith in a recent interview. “Food is a basic human right.”
The mission behind the name begins with Dr. Masaru Emoto, who explained that using the phrase “I Love You” on organic materials can create positive changes with molecules. Inspired by this idea, Smith added the phrase to every bag, food truck, and lunch container in his restaurant to spread positivity, happiness, and peace to the Skid Row community.
According to Smith, the future of his brand is “to create the I Love You headquarters where we can serve three free meals a day, every day, and eventually have them all over the country and the world.” The nonprofit would expand the food truck model and establish a home restaurant in Skid Row, ensuring that those who can’t afford to pay eat for free. In an interview with Variety, Smith shared that “If you’re not homeless, not only do you have to pay, but you have to pay for more than the food’s worth so that you can pay for the person behind you.”
Smith’s outstanding demonstration of loving others exemplifies the attitudes missing in today’s society, particularly in media and politics. As he opens his kitchen to the people of Skid Row, he shares his heart and encourages people of all backgrounds to follow suit.