With Love LA is an organization based in Southwest Los Angeles. It is a grocery store and café offering locally sourced and affordable organic food and beverages. It features a variety of fresh produce, meats, dairy, and prepared foods. The café provides fair-trade coffee, teas, and smoothies in a welcoming environment. Beyond its retail offerings, the organization reinvests its profits into the community through job creation, internships, and free educational programs focused on healthy living, child development, and other life skills.
Maya Kuppermann (MK): Andrew, let’s jump right in! Can you share the story behind "With Love LA" and what inspired you to start the organization?
Andrew McDowell (AM): "With Love LA" really came from noticing needs in my neighborhood. I’ve lived here for years, and while being active in the community through a local church and a nonprofit tutoring center, I started to recognize a few things. For one, many of the kids walking around the neighborhood or coming to the tutoring center were overweight. I began asking, "What's going on with food around here?" It seemed more than average. I also noticed that finding quiet, safe spaces to just hang out or reflect was difficult.
These observations grew over time. I loved helping people find jobs—something I did a lot in my previous profession. However, many of my neighbors didn’t have the college degrees that were often required for the jobs I could connect them to. That’s when it hit me: maybe I could help create these opportunities, create spaces, and provide access to what the community really needed. After reflecting on this idea, it felt like I was being led to do something bigger.
MK: That’s amazing. So how did that idea develop into an organization?
AM: It took about three and a half years of planning, researching, and figuring out what people actually needed. Our neighborhood has four times the average rate of diabetes and hypertension. Families were spending hours commuting to jobs far away, which took away from family time and the ability to prepare healthy meals. I realized there was a connection between the lack of jobs, long commutes, and poor health outcomes. The vision started to form around creating a community space that could focus on healthy food while providing jobs.
But it wasn’t an easy journey. I faced a lot of challenges when trying to raise funds the traditional way—through banks and donors. I didn’t have a proven model or experience in this field. I was coming from digital marketing, and banks kept asking me for proof of concept, which didn’t exist. If there were already models like this in my neighborhood, I wouldn’t need to create one! Eventually, I found success through crowdfunding, raising over $105,000, which opened up new doors with banks and funders.
MK: It’s so counterintuitive, isn’t it? When you’re trying to do something innovative, people ask for proof of something that hasn’t been done before. How did you find the right support system?
AM: It takes experienced people with the right eye to identify potential. Someone like Emily from Butterfly Equity Foundation has been a crucial mentor. She doesn’t financially support us, but she gives us her time and expertise. She reviews our grant proposals, volunteers with her team, and helps us avoid time-wasting opportunities. It’s relationships like these that matter. Foundations don’t always need to give dollars; mentorship and volunteerism are just as valuable, especially for lean teams like ours.
MK: That’s a great point! Shifting gears a bit, can you tell us about some of the programs and initiatives at "With Love LA" that you’re most proud of?
AM: One initiative we’re especially proud of is our "Pay It Forward" grocery boxes, which started during the pandemic. People could purchase a box of groceries, and we would ensure it got to a family in need. This grew rapidly, and we ended up providing thousands of boxes. What started as a small project turned into a critical support system during the pandemic. We’ve also become a contractor for programs like the LA Food Policy Council’s "Farm Fresh LA," delivering locally grown produce to families across the city.
Over time, we realized we didn’t need to compete with other organizations. Instead, we decided to support them. We provide the resources, food, and logistics they need to carry out their missions. This shift has been transformative for us and helped us develop what we now call our "food hub."
MK: It sounds like you’ve built something really special, not just for your community, but as a model of collaboration. What’s next for "With Love LA"?
AM: We’re now focusing on creating replicable systems and models that other communities can adopt. Our path hasn’t been straightforward—it’s been filled with a lot of no’s and challenges—but we’re figuring it out. The goal now is to ensure that others don’t have to face the same difficulties we did. We want to create sustainable, replicable opportunities that can be scaled.
MK: That’s incredible, Andrew. It sounds like "With Love LA" has truly become a pillar in the community, and I can’t wait to see how it continues to grow. Thank you for sharing your journey with us.
---
Andrew McDowell’s story is one of perseverance, innovation, and community. Through "With Love LA," he has shown how listening to the needs of a neighborhood and finding creative solutions can lead to lasting impact. From providing healthy food to creating jobs, his organization is paving the way for a healthier, more connected Los Angeles.
If you want to get involved in the work that With Love LA is doing, you can donate and find volunteer opportunities on their website.
Working with you globally
from NYC
115 Broadway
New York, 10006