((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))