The new I Love You restaurant project follows the celebrity’s food truck initiative- which has been feeding the homeless in Los Angeles’ Skid Row area for around two years now.

Jaden Smith is opening his first restaurant to provide free vegan meals to the homeless in LA.

The new I Love You restaurant project follows his food truck initiative- which has been feeding the homeless in Los Angeles’ Skid Row area for around two years now.

The musician, who is the son of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith told Variety: “It’s for homeless people to get free food.”

He added that while anyone can order from the eatery those who are able to pay for their meals will be encouraged to pay it forward so that the needy are able to receive nutritious and delicious plant-based meals.

“But if you’re not homeless, not only do you have to pay, but you have to pay for more than the food’s worth so that you can pay for the person behind you,” Smith said.

Smith’s philanthropy efforts

This isn’t the first time the 22-year-old has thrown his weight behind social causes.

He first launched the I Love You food truck in 2019 to give “people what they deserve, healthy, vegan food for free”.

The concept has since gone on to serve thousands of people in Skid Row and Harlem in New York City.

The passionate philanthropist – who also owns the JUST Water company – put in a water filtration system in Flint, Michigan two years ago – after residents struggled to get clean drinking water between 2014 – 2019.

He is also leading 501CTHREE.org’s Water Box project – featured in New Balance’s We Got Now campaign – to provide clean water access to communities.

Jaden Smith X New Balance

Smith also just released a new colourway of his vegan sneaker Vision Racer- which he launched with shoe giant New Balance last year.

The Pink New Balance x Jaden Vision Racer is designed by Foot Locker’s incubation hub – Greenhouse- while taking cues from Smith’s favourite New Balance designs namely the X-Racer and 1700.

Chris Davis, New Balance Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of Merchandising said: “Shared values of transforming the status quo; staying true to oneself; giving back to community; and, respecting heritage while co-authoring a distinct future, are the foundation of the relationship between New Balance and Jaden Smith.”

The newest design debuts today and will be available at Newbalance.com, the Greenhouse app, and at Foot Locker stores for $150.

• Read: Target launches own line of plant-based food as demand soars

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Mohsina Dodhiya

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