Jaden Smith is thinking long-term and community-first. The 27-year-old musician and entrepreneur recently shared what he calls his “real golden dream” — and it centers on transforming Los Angeles’ Skid Row with daily free meals, jobs, and a space built on dignity.
In a TikTok posted on Feb. 14, Will Smith’s son spoke candidly about his vision for the future. “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,” Smith said. “I can do things inside of it. I can create jobs and a good vibe. That’s my dream. That’s my long-term goal.”
He added, “I just want you guys to come along this journey with me and I want the I Love You community to support me while I’m trying to do this. That’s my real golden dream.” It’s not a passing idea. It’s a continuation of work he began years ago.
How I Love You Restaurant Started
Smith launched his vegan I Love You Restaurant as a food truck in 2019. The nonprofit serves free plant-based meals to people experiencing homelessness, driven by the belief that access to healthy food should not depend on income.
According to the brand’s website, the mission is simple but powerful: everyone deserves access to the healthiest food options, no matter their financial situation. Beyond fresh vegan meals, I Love You donates clothing and promotes messages of love, peace, and happiness.
© Getty ImagesRight now, the organization operates without a permanent brick-and-mortar location. That’s something Smith is determined to change. “We don’t have a place that we can be set up at all times, but I want to have that, and I want the community to help us get there in the future,” he shared.
The long-term vision is ambitious. “Our big vision is to create the I Love You headquarters where we can serve 3 free meals a day every day and eventually have them all over the country and the world,” the site states. From food truck to global headquarters, the roadmap is rooted in lived experience.
ERYS and the Reality of Skid Row
Smith credits his 2019 album, ERYS, as a turning point. “When I was making the ERYS album, that’s when I was really confronted with what was going down on Skid Row,” he said in a recent interview with Hypebeast. “All of the music videos for that album were shot in downtown LA. I realized I can’t just come here and, like, use the backdrop that’s been created, without giving back.”
© GothamThat moment shifted something. Exposure became responsibility. Smith also reflected on his early acting experience in “The Pursuit of Happyness,” where he starred alongside his father. “We hired homeless people to be extras in the film, and it’s part of the reason why the movie feels so real,” he said. He continued, “That also just really engraved the realities of Skid Row into my brain. Those early experiences on Skid Row, combined with the experience of ERYS, just made me have this feeling of wanting to actively give back.”
The Legacy of Shirley Raines
Smith’s renewed focus on Skid Row comes just weeks after the passing of Shirley Raines, founder of Beauty 2 the Streetz. Raines dedicated years to serving the unhoused community in Los Angeles, providing hair and makeup services, meals, clothing, hygiene, and safety items.
© Getty Images for CNN. A WarnerMeIn 2021, she was named a CNN Hero of the Year. In 2025, she received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Social Media Personality.
Raines found her calling in 2017 while serving meals with her church group on Skid Row. She described discovering a “purpose for her pain” as she connected with those she met. What began with food distribution evolved into beauty services that restored confidence and visibility.
By 2019, she had registered Beauty 2 the Streetz as a 501(c)(3) organization. At one point, she was preparing roughly 400 meals a week in her Long Beach apartment before delivering them to Skid Row. She later drew licensed stylists and brands into her mission through social media livestreams.
© Getty Images for NAACPRaines died in Las Vegas on Jan. 27, 2026, at age 58. On Feb. 18, the Clark County Coroner’s Office confirmed her cause of death as hypertensive heart disease, ruling it natural.
While it is unclear whether Smith was directly inspired by Raines, their missions intersect in meaningful ways: restoring dignity, meeting immediate needs, and building community presence in Skid Row.
A Vision Bigger Than One Building
Smith’s plan is more than a food program. It’s a cultural shift. A headquarters serving three free meals a day would address hunger, yes. But his emphasis on jobs, creativity, and “a good vibe” suggests agency.
© Splash News/The Grosby GroupLos Angeles continues to grapple with homelessness at scale. Solutions require policy, funding, and infrastructure. But grassroots energy can shape perception and momentum.
If Smith fulfills his dream, he won’t just be opening a building. He’ll be creating a daily rhythm of care in one of the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods. And that kind of consistency can change narratives as much as it changes lives.
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