((PKG)) STREET VENDOR
((TRT: 03:30))
((Topic Banner: Feeding the Soul))
((Reporter/Camera: Genia Dulot))
((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Los Angeles, California))
((Main character: 1 male))
((Sub character: 1 female))
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
It all happened when the city issued a memorandum and the
memorandum stated that if you are caught selling food on the
street, they were going to take everything away from you and they
were going to give you a thousand dollar fine. ((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
Perhaps it was at the exact moment when they say, you can’t sell
any more, that was the end of it. And so it was with so many
street vendors here in L.A. There was a point where I honestly
just didn't have enough for the rent. And I just didn't have enough
for my internet. And that forced us to open up an emergency
[crowdfunding] GoFundMe. Reaction to the public to our
GoFundMe was so great, since they donated seven, $5,000
initially. And so, we have like a couple of rents [paid] now.
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
We felt that through that, we had sort of like a commitment to pay
back the community.
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
We realized that there were some people that just didn't have the
courage to ask for help. I reached out to the community fridges
and I said, “You know what, I think we can set up this fridge out
here.” This erases the face-to-face. We can just set up a fridge
and say, “I don't want to know if you need my help. I don't want to
know you, if you, whatever, you know. Just go grab it.”
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
Through that, I came up with the idea, “Oh, maybe, we’ll do a
cookout.” Because there's a lot of people who live on the streets,
that they don't have a way to cook, something that we do, for
example, grill meat. You don’t have this with cheese and all that,
because if you, I mean, if you’re living on the street, you have no
refrigeration. You have no access to fire. So, there is no way you
can cook. So, what if we do something like this?
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
Cookouts are usually every Tuesday and we give away about 120
to 150 plates. I think we’re, including this one, that’s like 21 or 22
cookouts. So, give or take, about, just the cookouts, we serve
about 3,500 meals.
((NATS))
Thank you.
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
The whole thing is that people are experiencing with COVID,
isolation and not being able to talk to your neighbor, and distrust
and hate toward the government, and all that kind of stuff. When
people wait in line and then they get this food, it’s just a beacon of
hope, the beacon of saying, “Look, my own community, this
brown man, he's there and he looks like me and he's feeding me.”
It sends a signal that someone cares about you.
((NATS))
((Nina, Volunteer))
The anxiety of living through a pandemic with like food insecurity,
I think all of us are so anxious and what's better than a hot meal?
I know personally when I'm not feeling well, if someone drops
some soup over to me, like not only does it warm my body, but it
does warm my spirit.
((NATS))
((TRT: 03:30))
((Topic Banner: Feeding the Soul))
((Reporter/Camera: Genia Dulot))
((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Los Angeles, California))
((Main character: 1 male))
((Sub character: 1 female))
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
It all happened when the city issued a memorandum and the
memorandum stated that if you are caught selling food on the
street, they were going to take everything away from you and they
were going to give you a thousand dollar fine. ((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
Perhaps it was at the exact moment when they say, you can’t sell
any more, that was the end of it. And so it was with so many
street vendors here in L.A. There was a point where I honestly
just didn't have enough for the rent. And I just didn't have enough
for my internet. And that forced us to open up an emergency
[crowdfunding] GoFundMe. Reaction to the public to our
GoFundMe was so great, since they donated seven, $5,000
initially. And so, we have like a couple of rents [paid] now.
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
We felt that through that, we had sort of like a commitment to pay
back the community.
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
We realized that there were some people that just didn't have the
courage to ask for help. I reached out to the community fridges
and I said, “You know what, I think we can set up this fridge out
here.” This erases the face-to-face. We can just set up a fridge
and say, “I don't want to know if you need my help. I don't want to
know you, if you, whatever, you know. Just go grab it.”
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
Through that, I came up with the idea, “Oh, maybe, we’ll do a
cookout.” Because there's a lot of people who live on the streets,
that they don't have a way to cook, something that we do, for
example, grill meat. You don’t have this with cheese and all that,
because if you, I mean, if you’re living on the street, you have no
refrigeration. You have no access to fire. So, there is no way you
can cook. So, what if we do something like this?
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
Cookouts are usually every Tuesday and we give away about 120
to 150 plates. I think we’re, including this one, that’s like 21 or 22
cookouts. So, give or take, about, just the cookouts, we serve
about 3,500 meals.
((NATS))
Thank you.
((NATS))
((Heleo Leyva, Street Vendor))
The whole thing is that people are experiencing with COVID,
isolation and not being able to talk to your neighbor, and distrust
and hate toward the government, and all that kind of stuff. When
people wait in line and then they get this food, it’s just a beacon of
hope, the beacon of saying, “Look, my own community, this
brown man, he's there and he looks like me and he's feeding me.”
It sends a signal that someone cares about you.
((NATS))
((Nina, Volunteer))
The anxiety of living through a pandemic with like food insecurity,
I think all of us are so anxious and what's better than a hot meal?
I know personally when I'm not feeling well, if someone drops
some soup over to me, like not only does it warm my body, but it
does warm my spirit.
((NATS))
