MI soul - CA heart
We are so excited to announce we are expanding to Los Angeles, California!!
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Why California?
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How we met Lawrence.
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Meet Lawrence Jackson!
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Important things to make note of:
- The California branch of The Torch will have it’s own funding source, so all donations made to Michigan will stay in Michigan, similarly, all donations made to California will stay in California, unless a donor states otherwise. Additionally, all fundraising efforts for each branch will stay in each respective state, unless otherwise stated.
- Both founders and volunteers from each state agree to work for free. ALL donations will continue to go to help meet the needs of our neighbors.
- Torch LA daily operations will be overseen on location by Lawrence Jackson, and remotely by Co-Founders Rhonda, Sarah and the board.
- There is no set date as to when the food truck will officially be serving in CA, as there is a lot of work still to be done. We are in the initial stages of designing the food truck, working on logistics for storage, etc.. We will do our best to keep our social media pages up to date with all relevant progress and information - please see below for links to our social media platforms.
- If you have donated to the Michigan branch, all donations will stay in Michigan. We are currently fundraising to replace our Michigan catering truck - the estimated cost of a new (used) catering truck will be between $8,500 and $15,000. As of 8/10/2020, our catering truck is out of commission in the shop being repaired. Any leads or donations would be appreciated!
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Donation Clarification.
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The Torch Michigan Information
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Timeline...
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Who's in charge?
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Lawrence Jackson's perspective on Torch LA
"California is a state that has among the highest rates of poverty when adjusted for cost of living and has a significant African-American population. Being able to provide access to quality food is key in the fight for food security in California. Inglewood is more than my hometown. Inglewood is the number one city in California in terms of highest number of blacks. Inglewood also sits at the center of LA, providing both access to the greater LA County and surrounding cities with high rates of poverty and food insecurity in LA.
Sarah and Rhonda have long inspired me from the moment I found out they were more passionate about helping others than working for money. Anytime you have someone committed to a greater purpose, and doing so through Christ, after having seen the power of Christ is what it talks about in the Bible. I can only do my part and serve the ladies and help them fulfill their mission.
Torch is what it means to love thy neighbor and to make sure that you do what it is in your heart regardless of the difficulty. Torch is a reminder no situation is permanent and that Christ can work miracles in life and change a life. Being able to have a mobile platform to deliver free food, no questions asked, and made with the utmost love while helping people see that they too can overcome, is amazing. Even the ability to volunteer is tremendous. It can help people give their skills back to those in need who might not be able to meet the need because of material insecurity."
Sarah and Rhonda have long inspired me from the moment I found out they were more passionate about helping others than working for money. Anytime you have someone committed to a greater purpose, and doing so through Christ, after having seen the power of Christ is what it talks about in the Bible. I can only do my part and serve the ladies and help them fulfill their mission.
Torch is what it means to love thy neighbor and to make sure that you do what it is in your heart regardless of the difficulty. Torch is a reminder no situation is permanent and that Christ can work miracles in life and change a life. Being able to have a mobile platform to deliver free food, no questions asked, and made with the utmost love while helping people see that they too can overcome, is amazing. Even the ability to volunteer is tremendous. It can help people give their skills back to those in need who might not be able to meet the need because of material insecurity."
Rhonda's thoughts about the expansion 08/11/2020
"For me, this expansion is like coming home. I grew up in Southern California, about 40 miles northeast of Inglewood. I used to dream about having the opportunity to bring the Torch to California, but it hasn't happened, and I acknowledged it might never be anything more than a dream. And yet, there is God, and there is Lawrence, and God connected our hearts. I have long had tremendous appreciation for Lawrence's compassion for people. It just feels surreal for this to be happening."
Sarah's thoughts about the expansion 08/11/2020
"I don't think that the reality of the expansion has really hit me yet. What I am most excited about right now is Rhonda being able to help her home state. My heart and my home is in Michigan, but a piece of Rhonda's heart has never left California. I am excited to be able to be a small part of the Torch getting to LA. There is something very powerful about serving, but it becomes more personal when it is the ground you literally ran and played on as a kid. The fact that we are partnering with a retired professional football player who grew up in California, lived in Michigan, and is now back in California is just further proof that God has orchestrated the Torch from the beginning and works in ways we can't understand."