Have you heard about one of LA’s biggest block parties? Each month, Lunch on Me throws a free block party for the homeless community in greater LA. This September, we’ll be partnering with Lunch on Me on a back-to-school focused event, which will provide lunch and school supplies for children in need. We invite you to join us and volunteer at their next event on September 15th.

Volunteers will help distribute food and participate in beginners meal prep. There will be stations and activities for kids to enjoy as well as face painting, haircuts by professional barbers, yoga, and dance. We can’t think of a more meaningful way to spend an afternoon and we’d love your support!

We sat down for a quick chat with LaRaiya Gaston, the founder of Lunch On Me and coordinator for their free block parties. Read on to learn more about the amazing work that they do!

IF: What exactly is Lunch On me and what work do you do in LA?

LG: Lunch On Me is a Los Angeles-based non-profit dedicated to ending starvation while providing opportunities to enrich the mind, body, and spirit of L.A.’s homeless community. We bring nutritious and organic meals to Skid Row six days a week and now reach over ten thousand people a month. We redistribute organic food that would otherwise be wasted in order to create delicious and quality meals. Our past and current initiatives also include yoga classes, community parties, and healing gatherings for women.

IF: How did you get started?

LG: I’ve been volunteering and feeding the homeless for 14 years. While serving, I’ve experienced some of the most life-altering moments. My direct human encounter in poverty and starvation has taught me so much about life, people, community, love, and tragedy. My mission is to end starvation by redirecting waste. The best way to fix this problem is through mind, body, spirit wellness. We serve nutritious food, provide holistic healing, and personal connection to help break the cycle of illness and help our community find wellness.

IF: How many individuals are impacted by your work?

LG: We serve over 400 people each meal and serve over 10,000 meals a month!

IF: Where can folks learn more about what you’re doing and get involved?

LG: You can head to our website to learn more about what we do and if you want to help Imperfect support our back to school drive, please head to our Crowd Rise page to sign up to volunteer and/or donate to this cause!