(Todd A. Smith)
A wise person once said that the two most important days in a person’s life are the day they were born, and the day they discovered why they were born.
Everyone has a purpose in life, something bigger than themselves, their accomplishments and their bank accounts.
Furthermore, a person’s purpose does not solely revolve around their occupation.
Actor Jaden Smith cannot help having talent to entertain because he received his talents honestly from his parents, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.
While many have laughed at some of his decisions in the past, only a heartless person can laugh at his real dream in life.
Smith’s dream is to help homeless people get off Skid Row in Los Angeles and on their feet so that they can again make a positive contribution to society and fulfill dreams that many might have forgotten about because of their struggle via his brand, “I LOVE YOU.”
Haniyah Philogene of The Grio reported, “While he may walk away from red-carpet interviews, inquiring about his creative fashion plans, Jaden Smith is more open about his general aspirations on social media. Recently, Smith shared a video on TikTok revealing his long-term goals beyond acting, music, and serving as Christian Louboutin’s men’s creative director.”
Smith said, “Honestly, my dream in life is to have a building on Skid Row where I can give out free meals every single day, breakfast, lunch, dinner. I can do things inside of it—I can create jobs and, like a good vibe. That’s my real dream, that’s my long-term goal.”
Salute, king.
That is a heck of a dream and one that is needed, not just in Los Angeles.
If God placed that on his heart, He did so for a reason.
Smith is blessed.
Now, many people will be blessed because of what God has given him.
The unhoused community is one of the most misunderstood and stereotyped communities in the world.
People pass unhoused people daily and often think that they are on the streets because they are lazy or abusing drugs.
But many people just cannot afford to get housed and stay housed because of rising mortgage and rental prices.
Many people do not have family members who can financially assist them.
Many young people come from abusive homes and would rather be homeless because it might be safer, believe it or not.
While Skid Row is well-known around the country because of the popularity of Los Angeles, every city and town is dealing with people struggling to stay off the streets for various reasons.
I recently published an article on the difficulty of getting housed and staying housed in Houston, the fourth-largest city in the country.
While Smith might have name recognition because of his career, many others are also taking on the task of helping the unhoused community get a leg up in life.
In the article I wrote, “Many organizations have formed to help alleviate the obstacles of staying housed once housing is available to low-income and no-income families and individuals.
“Organizations like the Houston Land Bank have taken a national model of acquiring delinquent and abandoned property and building affordable housing on that land.
“Christa Stoneham, President and CEO of the Houston Land Bank (HLB), told Houston community media members that land banks can acquire tax delinquent property for as little as $1, and after partnering with developers, can then turn around and sell the property for as little as $15,000.
“For Houstonians to purchase these homes, they must secure their own financing, however.
“To date, the Houston Land Bank has about 40 acres in the Greater Houston area.”
“According to Stoneham’s bio, ‘She leads the transformation of over $150 million in vacant and tax-delinquent properties into affordable housing and thriving community spaces across Houston…
“‘Under her leadership, HLB has reactivated more than $76 million worth of property, eliminating illegal dumping and abandoned structures while generating millions in revenue for schools and local government services…
‘Christa spearheaded the Finding Home Initiative, a partnership with the Houston Community Land Trust, Fannie Mae, and CenterPoint Energy Foundation to create over 100 affordable and resilient homes in historically underserved neighborhoods, including Acres Homes, Independence Heights, Fifth Ward, Third Ward, Settegast, Magnolia Park, and Sunnyside…’
“Another problem that lower-income Houstonians run across is gentrification.
“Many predominantly Black and Brown communities have seen their property values increase so exorbitantly that they cannot afford to keep their homes.
“Furthermore, many of the homes in these communities have been in families for generations.
“But because descendants cannot afford rising property taxes, they find themselves losing the property, resulting in them being unhoused.
“Land trusts are a way that people can avoid this occurring, with money set aside to handle potential property value and property tax increases.
“In fact, land banks and land trusts work together to make sure that rising property values do not displace homeowners.
“Land banks activate the land, while land trusts allow for the land to remain affordable and in the hands of the community.
“Black farmers in Albany, Ga. started the land trust trend, collectively buying property so that it does not fall into the hands of people outside of the community who want to buy cheap land, build luxurious properties, which increases the taxes, and forces longtime homeowners from their land.”
While many do the work in relative anonymity, Smith has the reach to motivate others to join in on his purpose via his “I LOVE YOU” initiative.
And how can a person not love that?
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