From DTLA to the Joy of Giving

My dad worked in Downtown Los Angeles most of my life. He would dress to impress to go to work. He always looked like he was on his way to Rodeo Drive, but really he was heading into one of the largest wholesale markets in the country, where people stood outside shop doors, deals were made in parking lots, food trucks every few blocks, and a variety of things to buy. This part of Los Angeles was the pulse of Southern California, representing everything but the glamour of LA living.
The homeless issue of DTLA is very real, nicknamed Skid Row. My mom and I would go with my dad to work on Saturdays. We would walk around going to different stores and enjoying the wholesale life. But in between the buildings, on sidewalks, bus benches, there were people. Some talking to themselves, others with no shoes in the blistering sun, some with signs asking for money and many just hidden in their own holes, not wanting anything but to be left alone.
As a young girl from the suburbs of Orange County, the homeless problem of LA was far removed from my reality, but stuck with me well into my adulthood. It was the many weekends in Los Angeles, I got my real world education on life, people, and what it takes to survive. Even though the homeless crisis was disturbing, each time I went to DTLA I somehow wanted to help. I wanted to feed someone, buy someone clothes, give them money — something. However because I was a young girl, my parents didn’t encourage me to go up to someone, but every once in a while I could hand whoever was asking $1. It made me sad, and at times unhappy to be in that environment because I felt helpless, I didn’t know how to fix such a huge problem, and how to give to people who were in need.
One day, I was helping my dad at the store. I was 11 years old. I remember a man walked into the store, and couldn’t afford the tie he really wanted to go with his new suit. He wasn’t homeless, he just couldn’t afford the tie. When he left, I was organizing the tie rack and said “dad, you should have just given him the tie.” My dad looked at me, smiled, and shrugged his shoulders. Ten minutes later, the man walked in and said : “Malik, I really love that tie, I just can’t afford it.” Without hesitation, my dad wrapped it up, put it in a bag, and said “enjoy it my man.” And that was it.
After that moment, I knew that the pure and genuine act of giving without expecting anything in return was the single most important thing for me in life. I wanted to be a giver. A giver of my toys (which I did do when kids would come over and play) or giver of my friendship, my time, my love on and on…
Fast forward to today, I was presented with the opportunity to be the Managing Director for a Charitable Fund . My education background is in law and a masters in community leadership. It has been very hard to get myself motivated to practice law, and I have been involved in the nonprofit sector for 10 years, with different interfaith organizations. I love interfaith work, it’s what I choose to dig deep into, instead of other important causes like cancer research, or even the homeless crisis (which I still feel passionate about). However, in regard to my education, neither one of those fields pulled me in or captured my attention for too long. So when the opportunity to be involved with a Donor Advised Fund presented itself, I thought that this is the best of both worlds because I get to work with people who want to be charitable, but also smart with their money. They want to plan out their legacy, receive tax deductions, be creative with what type of assets to give, all the while, I can learn more about what they care about and help promote it.
To me, this is a dream job, because it involves giving, people, and collaborating. I can’t think of a better way to spend my time away from the most important people in my life; my two small children, and my husband, and go off to work. This work is really putting the wind underneath my wings — and I’m very excited to share it with the world!
I hope to try and reach out to as many small businesses and aspiring philanthropists at any level. I want to interview YOU. Who are you? What are you about? What is your passion project in life? What does your business support or give back to? Not only do I want to highlight you but I also want to shine a light on the organizations you are passionate about. If I had a camera back then, I would have captured the scenario between my dad and the customer, and highlighted to the world that giving is way better than receiving, and how small businesses impact their communities. Since I didn’t have the chance then, I have the opportunity now. I want to get to know all those who partake in the joy of giving, and what it looks like for them.
I used to think of philanthropy or philanthropists as super wealthy individuals who give away later in life. However now I see a trend and a movement through Charitable funds in particular, to set money aside for later giving. It’s strategic, it’s smart, it’s sexy…and I want to help make people more aware of it! So, I’m here to try and give philanthropy a makeover, and showcase the art of giving.
I want to thank my parents for exposing me to the realities of the world early on, which has led me to the path of wanting to be a giver in this life.
