Rapper and actor Jaden Smith is turning his local meals on wheels business into a full-fledged establishment to give back to the homeless.
This week, Variety revealed breaking news about Jaden Smith’s I Love You food truck — which launched two years ago in Los Angeles’ Skid Row area — that is now set to be turned into the I Love You restaurant to distribute food to homeless people.
“It’s for homeless people to get free food,” he tells the outlet. “But 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 noble effort is on brand for his many philanthropic actions, including his Water Box project — part of his 501CTHREE nonprofit organization — which provides underserved communities with access to clean water.
News of Smith’s latest give back move follows after the announcement of his appearance in New Balance’s We Got Now campaign video, which also highlights and features the actor’s Water Box project.
In the 30-second ad, Smith is spotted loading up a truck with his Water Box project and a large label on the side of it that reads, “clean water is a human right.”
“The campaign is full of what everyone does, and people ask me what I do,” Smith tells Billboard about the New Balance ad. “I like to say that I like to help the world and I like to give back, so We Got Now campaign is featuring the Water Box, which is a project I’ve been working on for a long time with my cofounder of Just Water, Drew Fitzgerald.”
“The reason I wanted to do it is because I feel like it has a bigger message of We Got Now, like, the culture has now, the youth has now,” he adds. “The youth is going to take over and really change and bring something different for the future of the world.”
According to 501CTHREE, the organization’s mission is founded upon the principles of “deploying solutions for energy, food, water & shelter.”
With Smith’s latest charitable endeavor, he’ll be able to continue giving back to the homeless community in Los Angeles while also inspiring others to do the same.
For more information about his nonprofit organization, click here.