'We have to help people, we've got to': Brown Bag Lady serves meals and dignity to L.A.'s homeless

Zulekha Nathoo, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
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A Los Angeles woman, known affectionately as the Brown Bag Lady, is serving the city's unhoused population with enticing meals and a sprinkle of inspiration for dessert.

"Not everybody has that strong family unit or that insurance where you can get into rehab or you have a mom or a dad or an uncle come and say, 'Crash on my couch,'" says Jacqueline Norvell. "It's difficult. It is hard. And it's not getting any better."

Norvell started cooking meals for people on L.A.'s Skid Row about 10 years ago in her two-bedroom apartment after getting some extra money from her Christmas pay check.

She bought several turkeys and prepared all the fixings for about 70 people, driving to one of L.A.'s most high-risk areas to hand out the meals.

"We made the meals, bought Styrofoam to-go containers and just parked on a corner," said Norvell. "And we were swarmed."

She says people were grateful and she realized the significant demand. Norvell's been cooking tasty creations ever since.

Watch how the Brown Bag Lady connects with L.A.'s unhoused through cuisine in the video below

From teriyaki chicken bowls with sesame seeds to what she calls a street favorite of red beans and rice with cornbread, Norvell garnishes each dish with love and some words of encouragement.

In addition to the nourishment, each bag or box has an inspirational quote from change makers like Malcolm X and Maya Angelou.

"We've got to help each other out," she said. "We have to."

As Norvell cleans up a large set of dishes after serving food one evening on the street, a man walks by and starts chatting with her. He tells her he's finally been able to find housing and now has his own place.

"And I couldn’t have done it without people like y’all," he says, "being like a shoulder when I wanted to give up."

That's why, she says, you can never underestimate the power of a warm meal. And Brown Bag Lady has served more than 90,000 to date.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ‘Brown Bag Lady’ cooks up delectable dishes to nourish belly and soul