Paris Hilton

Jimmy  Darts

Flavor Flav

SB Mowing

Kalina Silverman / @makebigtalk on Instagram

The Dogist

Patriotic Kenny Foundation

Pattie Gonia

Little Miss Flint

Carlos Eduardo Espina

Samuel Weidenhofer

Ben Saunders - Flawless Cleaning

Peter Bond

That Good News Girl

Ask Uncle Jack

Amy Jandrisevits

FowlMouthFarmer

Tess Bohne

Latonja and Taylor Richardson

Officer Richard Craig

<div>My name is Kevin Hu, and for the past 49 years, Hu’s Restaurant has been an institution serving the Westside community. My parents opened Hu’s in 1977 because they felt there weren’t any good Chinese restaurants on the Westside. If you wanted authentic or flavorful Chinese food, you had to travel all the way to Chinatown or even further east to The San Gabriel Valley. For five decades, Hu’s has always been a place where families gather, friends reconnect, and neighbors celebrate milestones. Some of my favorite stories come from the two generations of customers who I have personally watched grow-up eating here with their parents - and today are making new memories here with their own children and grandchildren! Serving up to 4 generations at the table, making Hu’s part of their own family traditions is something any business would be proud of and an honor for me. 
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>It is with a heavy heart that I must share that after nearly five decades, our landlord plans to demolish the building and redevelop the property, so we must vacate before the end of the year. After the Covid pandemic, many restaurants struggled to return to pre-pandemic levels, and we were no different. It has been extremely challenging for independent restaurants to survive, but my hope is to keep Hu’s Restaurant alive and serving the Westside community for many more years. 
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>The cost of leasing a new location and building it out today is extremely high. The funds raised will help us secure a new space, renovate it, and cover critical expenses. Any support you can offer to help save Hu’s Restaurant is deeply appreciated. Thank you for standing with us during this transition and for helping continue my parent’s legacy.
</div>
<div>Kevin
</div>

Help Hu’s Restaurant Find a New Home

<div>No one in this world has made me laugh more than Cassie Keet. And if you know her, a weird story, a brilliant sketch she wrote, an awkward anecdote, or a silly face she made has had you giggling too. She's the best at it. And now she needs our help. We are raising funds to keep this laughter going.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>In November of 2025, Cassie woke up with a painfully swollen leg. She thought it was a muscle strain and promptly ignored it, going on SIX FLIGHTS (two of which were international). It turned out to be a blood clot, for which she was hospitalized on December 1st. However, this wasn’t a simple blood clot. With Cassie, the simple answer is rarely the correct one. It turns out, her blood was extremely thin but “sticky.” After copious amounts of testing, ER visits, and various types of medicines, she has been diagnosed with Lupus Anticoagulant, a stupid medical name because it’s not Lupus and is the opposite of an anticoagulant. Basically it means her blood clots for no reason. We're calling it "Haunted Blood." Please don't infringe on our trademark case. This brief nightmare has saddled her with big medical costs, and though her specialized team is giving her the best possible care, she has ended up back in the emergency room a handful of times and is currently going through rounds of iron infusions (the first of which she had a reaction to that sent her back to the ER). Further, the medicines, their side effects, and pain caused from the clot has rendered Cass unable to work the way she was. With insurance premiums, hospital stays, hematology visits, rent, and cheese board bills piling up, we want to offset these costs.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Simply, we want to aid in the overall cost of her medical bills, giving her space to breathe as she recovers, continues to find viable work and entertain us all.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I call Cassie my sister because we've been through so much together. She has survived Hollywood, a Writer's Strike, weird weed jobs, crazy Aussie roommates, independent film producing, thousands of rewrites, moving back home, the Valley -- and through it all, she always made me feel less alone. She sweetly made sure that everyone around her had a place to come together, feel seen and share a laugh.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>She's a joy and we want to provide her temporary relief. Please consider helping us.
</div>

Help Cassie Keet Keep Us Laughing

<div>I'm heartbroken to learn that my friend Ben and his wife Kirby lost their home and everything in it during the Eaton fire. Ben and his family moved into their home recently after the birth of their second child, and recovery is going to be a long process.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>If you work in the entertainment industry, you probably know Ben, who is a beloved TV and film writer and an active member of the WGA and IATSE. Our industry still hasn't recovered from the last few turbulent years, so entertainment workers affected by the fires face an extra daunting recovery. This fund will be used to help their family get back on stable financial footing.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Let's get Ben, Kirby, their two kids, and their very elderly little dog back on their feet.
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/85527959_1736450629862812_r." width="100%" />
<div><br />
</div>
<div><em>(My name is Olga and I'm raising these funds for Ben and Kirby because Ben is a good friend and TV colleague of mine here in LA and I've seen how much he shows up for other people. Ben's writing partner Chris is also an admin on this page.)</em>
</div>

Ben and Kirby lost everything in the Eaton Fire

<div>Recently, the devastating Palisades fire tore through LA, leaving my dear friend and her daughter with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Please join us in supporting <strong>Erin and Kealani</strong>, who tragically lost everything.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>They are now faced with the overwhelming challenge of rebuilding their lives from scratch. We are raising funds to help meet their immediate needs, such as securing temporary housing, replacing clothing, and providing other essentials to help them regain stability.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Every single dollar donated will go directly to Erin and Kealani, providing them with the resources they urgently need during this incredibly difficult time.</strong> Your support, no matter the amount, will make a meaningful impact on their journey to recovery.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Please find it in your heart to help. Thank you for your compassion and generosity.
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img class="text-editor_textEditorImage__43_GE" alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/85511235_1736395552267985_r." width="100%" />
<div><br />
</div>

Support Erin and Kealani After Palisades Fire

<div>My friend Chad and his parents had their home taken by the Pacific Palisades wildfire. Chad is one of the best people I know; he's a musician, a community organizer, and for the past several years, has been taking care of his disabled parents. Chad's mom is paralyzed by Neuromyelitis Optica, a rare autoimmune disease, and his dad is blind. Chad is the best boss I've ever worked for and one of the kindest people I know. The fire took everything: clothes, possessions, and memories. His parents didn't have insurance on the home. Chad and his family need immediate financial assistance to help recover from the fire. All donations will go to helping Chad and his family secure shelter and critical supplies as they recover from this disaster.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/85497521_1736518783133892_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
<div><br />
</div>

Restore Hope for Chad and His Family

<div>Friends across Los Angeles and beyond, Bart desperately needs our help.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>A coalition of public transit advocates have organized this GoFundMe on behalf of our fellow transportation advocate Bart Reed. If you are wondering why Hilary Norton is listed as the "beneficiary," on GoFundMe it is because she is the fund manager to ensure that all donations will be used to support Bart's recovery.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Many of you may know Bart from his role as CEO of The Transit Coalition or from his work at Sierra Club. Those who do not know Bart Reed personally, should know that he has worked tirelessly for decades to help Los Angeles move towards a green and equitable future. Now he’s the one who needs help.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Bart and his 18 year-old cat, Flying Ace, have been evicted from their home, after exhausting all legal remedies. While Bart has a place to stay temporarily, he needs a long-term affordable living arrangement.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Bart is 73 and a person with disabilities, who walks with a rollator (wheeled walker with a built in seat for resting). He is diabetic and relies on a car and uses public transit to get to and from doctors appointments as he can not walk long distances.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Bart needs our financial help. He is only receiving disability and social security payments, and has amassed significant debt that needs our immediate attention and support.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>We are organizing this GoFundMe campaign to help establish an account to help Bart with debt and living expenses, so that he can get back on his feet. Your help will be life-changing and very appreciated.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Jeremy, Hilary, Denny, Marlene, Eli, and Other Friends of Bart Reed
</div>

Get Bart Reed a place to live and back on track!

<div>My name is Hannah Waters and I’m a former member of the Bird Union-CWA Local 1180 and a former journalist at the National Audubon Society.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I started this GoFundMe to raise funds for my friends and former colleagues at Audubon, a century-old national environmental nonprofit that protects birds, people, and the places they share. An overwhelming majority of the Bird Union, the organization’s staff union, voted to authorize an Unfair Labor Practice strike due to Audubon’s unlawful actions toward union members.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>In contract negotiations that Audubon has dragged out for more than two years, the organization has broken federal labor laws in multiple instances. It denied members benefits given to non-represented staff—as a result, members receive a mere two weeks of paid parental leave while non-union employees receive six, and part-time employees get zero sick days, among other inequities. The organization also made unilateral changes to healthcare and refuses to bargain over minimum salaries.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>The more than 250 members of the Bird Union are a passionate group of conservationists, scientists, educators, advocates, communicators, journalists, financial experts, land stewards, lobbyists, and volunteer coordinators who want to protect birds and the environment and receive basic worker protections.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Members will go on a three-day strike starting September 10, 2024. These hundreds of workers will not be paid while they’re on the picket line. That’s where you come in. To offset the hardship members face from losing these wages, workers will be able to request funds from this page through a team of union stewards, who will manage this money and ensure it goes directly to members. Any extra money left over after paying out those who request funds will be donated to a charity or strike fund of the Bird Union’s choice. Should the Bird Union not have to strike before ratifying a contract, donations will be refunded.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Thank you for protecting the people who protect the birds!
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>*Funds from the Bird Union strike fund are collected independently from the Communications Workers of America
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/82148135_1723909222990297_r.png" width="100%" />
<div><br />
</div>

Support Bird Union Members on Strike

<div>I’m a black mom, immigrant, and domestic violence victim. I need legal funds to secure my son’s health and safety. I don’t have the means to pay the money for the retainer and medical legal fees for an upcoming trial and without legal assistance, I’m afraid my abuser will regain access to me and my son in a way that could damage us both irreparably. If you can’t donate, please consider sharing with your communities in private channels.
</div>

Domestic Violence Victim Raises Legal Funds

<div><strong>TL;DR - Culture Machine, the production company behind the television series DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, needs help to get through the writer's strike and keep our staff employed!</strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>At 6:30pm on May 7th, I sat surrounded by five incredible humans who’d gathered for my 40th birthday dinner, in awe of the fact that ten years after my first feature I’d finally assembled this ferocious team of employees and moved us into our first office. At about 7:30pm, I received an email revealing that we might lose everything. 
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img class="m-text-editor-image" alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/73068401_1684859813291717_r." width="100%" />
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>If you haven’t yet heard, the Film &amp; TV industry is facing sudden and unprecedented turmoil, and my company is in trouble. Culture Machine is the production company I founded to support my work like DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, BAD HAIR and my upcoming feature film HAUNTED MANSION, but also support the work of other marginalized creatives in this city. On May 7th, Culture Machine’s overall deal was suspended. 
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>What’s an overall deal? In television, it is essentially an agreement between a studio and a production company or creative where the studio offers financial support for ideas the company or creative mind creates while under this deal. To my genuine surprise and possibly yours, creating four seasons of a hit show, a podcast, and three feature films is still not enough to maintain a small production company without the support of an overall deal. Most companies like ours are only able to exist because of these deals. These economics are one of many reasons the current writer's strike is happening and the reason we are fighting to survive as a company.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>You may be wondering, “Why even have a company?” Simply put, because no one can or does accomplish anything alone.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I started Culture Machine because I wanted to support the development &amp; creation of stories for people from underrepresented communities and to amplify emerging writers &amp; filmmakers whose voices are ignored by Hollywood far too often. Voices like my own that do not see themselves represented in our culture.
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img class="m-text-editor-image" alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/73068401_1684859902119746_r." width="100%" />
<div><br />
</div>
<div>But now that the studios have used the writer's strike as grounds to abruptly suspend overall deals, companies like Culture Machine and their employees are suddenly left in financial free-fall.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img class="m-text-editor-image" alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/73068401_1684860031347890_r." width="100%" />
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>It's taken a decade since my first feature to finally move into my first office and fill it with a very awesome team. Do our office bathrooms have prison vibes? Yes. Is the lease both pricey and impossible to back out of? Unfortunately. But I’m in it with a diverse group of Black, Brown and queer folks who share my mission to fuel popular culture with inclusive, bold storytelling.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>This writer’s strike is vital and necessary. That said, there are a lot of folks, particularly young POC and queer folks new to Hollywood, for whom this means the end of their career. I don’t want that to include my team. I am doing everything I can at the moment to personally finance this small company, but even with reduced salaries it isn’t enough. This isn’t about my paycheck or even my president’s, it’s about making sure our support staff can pay rent and survive in this city at least through the summer. Hopefully through the end of the strike, whenever that will be.
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img class="m-text-editor-image" alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/73068401_1684860076922036_r." width="100%" />
<div> 
</div>
<div>As of May 7, I’ve been Black for 40 years and I’ve noticed how cyclical things are. Like fascism and, actually, me asking the internet for money. 
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div><iframe media_type="0" media_id="watjO62NrVg" class="youtube-replace" title="YouTube video player" style="margin-bottom:20px;width:560px;height:315px;" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/watjO62NrVg/?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="1"></iframe>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>We wouldn't have been able to make my first feature without crowd-funding and this time it might literally help us keep the lights on. I’m nothing without my community, so I’m coming back to ask you to help me help my team. 
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img class="m-text-editor-image" alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/73068401_1684860286114018_r." width="100%" />
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>The funds we raise from this campaign will go directly toward paying our support staff and overhead costs. With significant reductions in pay, $60k ought to keep us afloat until the end of the summer. If we are fortunate enough to make more than we need to stay afloat during the strike, additional funds raised will go directly toward helping support other writers affected by the work stoppage. If you can, please donate. If you aren’t able to donate, please share!
</div>
<div><br />
</div>

Keep Culture Machine's Lights On

<div>Welcome to the official UCLA-CS strike fund. We are raising funds to provide financial support to our SEIU members in need.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>We are proud educators at the UCLA Community School in the Koreatown neighborhood of LA and members of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA). This week we are going on strike in solidarity with SEIU Local 99 members which includes thousands of cafeteria workers, bus drivers, custodians, special education assistants, and other essential school workers in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>UCLA Community School is part of RFK Community of Schools. The school was built to relieve underperforming and overcrowded schools located in the historically underserved neighborhoods of Pico-Union and Koreatown. Students are offered a rigorous and personalized instructional program that embodies the social justice legacy of Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Beginning Tuesday March 21, 2023 SEIU and UTLA teachers will go on a three day-strike to protest the school district’s unfair practices.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>By striking alongside SEIU, we are all giving up three days' pay. We're making that sacrifice because we believe that ALL workers in Los Angeles public schools deserve better pay and better living and working conditions. Generations of workers in the labor movement have shown us that we are stronger when we stand together!
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Our school complex at RFK has over 60 SEIU 99 Members that will be affected by the strike economically. We are asking our community members to pitch in to help our members join us on the picket line.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Please donate anything you can! All proceeds will be divided between our SEIU99 UCLA CS members and any additional funds beyond the needed amount for strikers will be used for strike expenses.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Please help us so our SEIU99 partners can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us as we fight for a better future! Thank you in advance for helping to create the schools that our Los Angeles students deserve!
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>In solidarity,
</div>
<div>UTLA UCLA Community School Teachers
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div>

UCLA CS Strike Fund for SEIU members

<div><strong>The Story of Baroo – A Taste of the Future</strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/71453479_1678800285302421_r." width="100%" />
<div><br />
</div>
<div>In October 2018, we had to close the doors to our restaurant, baroo. Ever since then, we never gave up hope on finding a new space to reopen. It took us more than four years, but we have finally signed a lease and are working on this new evolution of our restaurant. For the next month, we are focused on raising funds every way we can, so we can fully realize our dream for our restaurant.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong><em>Baroo who?</em></strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>The original baroo opened in August 2015 next to a 7-11 in an East Hollywood strip mall as a two-man operation. Focused on fermentation and showcasing Korean ingredients and techniques in a voice that is uniquely Kwang’s, baroo was described by the late, much-missed Jonathan Gold as “<a href="https://www.latimes.com/food/jonathan-gold/la-fo-1114-gold-20151114-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a taste of the future</a> ”. In its three-year run, baroo was recognized as a James Beard semi-finalist for Best New Restaurant 2016, one of <em>Bon Appetit</em>’s Top 5 Best New Restaurants 2016, <em>Bon Appetit</em>’s Dish of the Year 2016, Eater World Food Obsession Award 2016, Eater LA’s Best New Restaurant 2016, and made Jonathan Gold’s 101 List in 2016 and 2017 and Eater LA’s 38 Essential Restaurants 2016 through 2018.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>“Baroo” is the Korean word for the bowls that Buddhist monks use to eat their meals. Buddhist principles of compassion, interconnectedness and balance are the foundations of how we run our restaurant. For all the people who found their way to baroo, Kwang tried to offer a meal that was cooked mindfully and that was playful, imaginative, unpretentious, good value and, most importantly, deliciously balanced.
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/71453479_1678799665535999_r." width="100%" />
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Sadly, baroo closed after a split between Kwang and his then business partner, and the two of us started looking for a new space for baroo. Since it was taking time to find a new location (we had no idea then how long!), we launched a 9-month pop-up in an East Hollywood swap meet <strong>Baroo Canteen</strong> where we served more casual baroo family meals.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Then at the start of 2021, we opened <a href="https://www.shikulosangeles.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Shiku</strong></a> in historic Grand Central Market which features traditional Korean lunch boxes. “Shiku” means the people you share food with, or your family and community. Shiku’s mission is to engage with and donate to local community organizations working to feed and serve our community. We strive to make a monthly donation to local community organizations, especially those serving the AAPI community in Los Angeles. In the past year, we have also donated our catering services to organizations like Korean American Family Service’s Foster Family Initiative and GYOPO x Ssi Ya Gi. We will continue to run Shiku and hope we soon can expand its community-focused model.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong><em>The New Reincarnation of Baroo</em></strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>For the new baroo, we are planning a relaxed fine dining restaurant whose foundation is Korean but also reflects our lives in LA, Europe and Asia. In this new reincarnation, we want to offer a five-course tasting menu that explores the traditional framework of <strong><em>saju-myungri</em></strong>, the traditional Korean philosophy that is based on yin and yang and the five elements: wood-fire-earth-metal-water. Incorporating Korean traditional medicine, astrology, meditation with a touch of fortune telling, we want our restaurant to feel healing, restorative and playful. As always, <strong>fermentation</strong> is the backbone of what baroo offers.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Our aim for our opening is to keep our menu around $90-95 per person, but we will have to see how inflation and our other costs run when we open, but no more than $125/person. We strongly believe there is a way to offer a tasting menu experience at relatively reasonable prices. We do know that this price point is not reasonable for many and our aim is to be able to provide more community support through baroo’s success.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Baroo will have <strong>two tasting menus with a vegan tasting menu</strong> <strong>inspired by Korean temple cuisine</strong> which is a huge part of our story together. There will be Korean alcohol pairings featuring the best of Korean brewing. We will also try our hand at brewing our own makgeolli following the tradition of Mina’s grandmother who ran a makgeolli brewery in Jeolla province.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Our new home will be in<strong> the Arts District</strong> at the Garey Building, next to Father’s Office and across from Hauser &amp; Wirth Gallery. We are excited to be neighbors with many of LA’s most celebrated restaurants like Kato, Camphor, Yangban Society, Bavel, Bestia, Majordomo and Damian. The space is a 2nd generation restaurant with lofty ceilings and in great condition, thankfully!
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>We cannot wait to welcome all of you. It’s been a long time coming for us. What we are working on feels like what baroo was meant to be and what we were both meant to do. If everything goes smoothly, our doors open late June this year.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong><em>Who We Are:</em></strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/71453479_167879993475747_r." width="100%" />
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Kwang Uh</strong>
</div>
<div>Kwang is our culinary mastermind and resident philosopher. Born and raised in Seoul, Kwang studied hospitality at Gyonggi University and then graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. He also got his master’s degree from the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo, Italy (also known as the Slow Food University) writing his master's thesis on Korean fermentation. Kwang has worked and/or staged at many two and three Michelin-starred restaurants around the world—including Picholine (NYC), Daniel (NYC), Mingles (Seoul), NOBU (Bahamas), Noma (Copenhagen), Piazza al Duomo (Alba), and Quique d’Acosta (Valencia).
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Mina Park</strong>
</div>
<div>Mina will mainly be responsible for overseeing the front of house, beverage program and business operations. (We are a husband-and-wife operation, so we both do a little bit of everything!) Mina is Korean American, born in Virginia. Her past life was as a lawyer; but in 2013, Mina launched a culinary popup called Sook with events throughout Asia and Europe. Her first collab was with the former HK restaurant, Serge et le phoque, founded by chef Christophe Pelé (who heads le Clarence), Fred Peneau (one of the founders of Chateaubriand) and Charles Pelletier. Mina and the Serge team created a beloved monthly series of Korean-inspired tasting menu dinners in Hong Kong. Mina is also a trained Korean cooking teacher and set up the culinary program at the Korean Cultural Centre in Hong Kong. She loves to share her love of Korean food through the restaurants and her writing.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>In early 2017, Kwang and Mina met at the temple of Jeong Kwan <em>seunim</em>, featured in <em>Chef’s Table</em>. We are now married with a 3-year-old son who loves food and racing around the dining room of our new space.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong><em>Why Crowdfunding?</em></strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>As much as we believe that this is the right time to pursue our vision of baroo, we are also in the midst of a wave of restaurant closures, rampant inflation and an uncertain outlook for 2023. The baroo approach is we work with a minimal, stripped-down budget. In these times, we think this is the only way we can succeed. But opening a tasting menu restaurant with beer &amp; wine even on a minimal budget costs more money than we’ve ever spent before (which was practically nothing so not that difficult to beat).
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>While we are so fortunate to have support of friends and family, we need to raise more funds. <em>We hope we can raise $50,000 here</em>, though we still need to raise more than that.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>We are casting our net wide and talking to potential investors who are aligned with the baroo spirit. And we are turning to you all as well because you are our village. What we’ve learned over recent years is that it truly takes a village to sustain a restaurant. We are so lucky to have had a community around us, our shiku, that has made it possible for our restaurants to survive, that has given us encouragement and love.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>We hope that there are some kind souls in our village who are able to contribute to our reopening. And mostly, we hope this crowdfunding allows us to widen and strengthen our baroo community.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong><em>Use of Funds Raised:</em></strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Opening a restaurant entails numerous costs before the doors even open. Even with our stripped down budget, we still need to pay for things like:
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<ul>
<li><em>Dining room renovations and furniture</em> – We are not going for luxury, but when you need to buy 40-45 chairs, the numbers start to get wild
</li>
<li><em>Food and beverage inventory </em>– We won’t have a massive wine list to open, but even a modest list requires a decent backstock of bottles
</li>
<li><em>Beer and wine license </em>– So we can legally offer that backstock of bottles
</li>
<li><em>Hiring and training our team properly</em> – We learned the hard way that pre-opening training is imperative when you have a team bigger than 2 people.
</li>
<li><em>Soft opening</em> – See note above on learning the hard way…
</li>
<li><em>Small kitchen appliances and kitchenware </em>– We are lucky that our kitchen comes equipped with large appliances, but we still need to buy small equipment to execute our vision for the food
</li>
<li><em>Other pre-opening costs like insurance, utilities, legal fees </em>
</li>
<li><em>Contingency and working capital</em> – Given the economic climate, we need a reserve to make sure we can weather a tough 2023
</li>
</ul>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>We are asking for the world, we know. And we know that times are difficult for many so we are grateful to anyone who even considers making a contribution.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><em>We think of baroo like a tree that’s starting to take root. Everyone around us, everyone that has ever eaten and will eat at baroo, and all of you, help to nurture this tree, let its roots grow deeply into the earth and spread its branches. Over time, the tree will grow stronger and be able to provide shade and fruit to those who have nurtured it. Eventually, the tree will fall, and in its decay, provides nutrients back to the earth. And the nurturing cycle continues. We will do everything we can to take care of all of you and our community as you have taken care of us.</em>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong><em>Tokens of Our Gratitude:</em></strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>To thank you for your generosity, we are offering the following gifts for our supporters:
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>All donations</strong>: Your name printed on our menu for our opening week
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>$100 or more</strong>: Korean Zen Buddhist prayer bracelet (while supplies last; shipping available)
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>$200 or more</strong>: Virtual fermentation class with Kwang and Mina, with PDF recipes and Q&amp;A. We will offer three Zoom sessions (held in PST) before our opening and have a recorded class for donors who are unable to join at those times.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>$300 or more</strong>: Three bottles of baroo’s housemade condiments (exact goods TBD but could be, for example, baroo mat ganjang, fermented crab sauce, or a fermented fruit syrup; shipping available; first 30 donors)
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>$500 or more</strong>: A reservation for 2 people for our official opening night (first 20 donors)
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>$1,000 or more</strong>: Kwang will offer a completely unprofessional but hopefully fun and informative saju-myungri consultation which is based on your birth time and will include a reading of your birth chart (saju), can include some dietary recommendations based on Korean traditional medicine and answers to questions you may have on your saju. (Kwang will be able to do one reading per week to span the coming year; first 30 donors)
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>$2,500 or more</strong>: Dinner at baroo for two people with two special additional courses (date to be mutually agreed; first 10 donors)
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>$5,000 or more</strong>: Dinner for two people with two special additional courses + saju-myungri consultation by Kwang above for each of you (date to be mutually agreed; first 10 donors)
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>$10,000 or more</strong>: A private dinner at your home cooked by Kwang and Mina for up to 12 people (date to be mutually agreed; first 3 donors)
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>$30,000 or more</strong>: A private party at baroo for up to 35 people (date to be mutually agreed)
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Subject to availability, donations made in one category will receive the rewards for the lower donation amounts (other than dinners for two and saju-myungri consultations which are only available once per eligible donation). Physical rewards will be shipped out in May. If you email your donation receipt to <a href="https://baroolosangeles.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">[email redacted]</a>, Mina will follow up with you on your gift.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Thank you for loving baroo! Every message we have received after the announcement of our opening (<a href="https://la.eater.com/2023/2/27/23617425/baroo-arts-district-tasting-menu-restaurant-reopening-kwang-uh-mina-park" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a> at Eater) is giving us energy for our opening! And please support your local mom-and-pop restaurants!
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Gratefully, Kwang &amp; Mina
</div>

BAROO: Join Us in the Rebirth of Our Restaurant

<div>[español abajo] 
</div>
<div>Our beloved friend and comrade Dont Rhine has been hospitalized again with a serious infection in his heart valve, which was replaced in 2020. Dont will need open heart surgery and many weeks of recovery. Health insurance requires considerable co-pays and "shared" costs, and there will be other necessary expenses during this time when he cannot work. We do not yet know how much money we will need but we will adjust this goal as things become clearer.
</div>
<div>Dont has spent his life organizing in ACT-UP, in the harm reduction movement, and in the tenant power movement. He is precious to so many of us.
</div>
<div>This photo is of Dont at the most recent LA Tenants Union Escuelita, in February 2023. The Escuelita is LATU's Saturday School, where we bring members of local chapters across LA for discussion circles and popular education. We held sessions on different forms of direct action and on rent strikes. Dont wrote, as a caption to this photo, "When people ask me what's my role in the tenants union." He brings us laughter, militancy, wisdom, and love.
</div>
<div>Hundreds of people contributed generously three years ago when Dont was last hospitalized. We are so grateful for your continued love and support.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>//
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Nuestro querido amigo y camarada Dont Rhine ha sido hospitalizado de nuevo con una grave infección en la válvula de su corazón, que fue reemplazada en 2020. Dont necesitará una operación a corazón abierto y muchas semanas de recuperación. El seguro médico exige copagos y gastos "compartidos" considerables, y habrá otros gastos necesarios durante este tiempo en el que no podrá trabajar. Aún no sabemos cuánto dinero necesitaremos, pero ajustaremos este objetivo a medida que las cosas se vayan aclarando.
</div>
<div>Dont ha pasado su vida organizando en ACT-UP, en el movimiento de reducción de daños y en el movimiento de poder de los inquilinos. Es muy valioso para muchos de nosotros.
</div>
<div>Esta foto es de Dont en la más reciente Escuelita del Sindicato de Inquilinos de Los Ángeles, en febrero de 2023. La Escuelita es la escuela sabatina de SILA, donde reunimos a los miembros de las secciones locales de LA en círculos de discusión y educación popular. Tuvimos sesiones sobre diferentes formas de acción directa y sobre huelgas de renta. Dont escribió, como pie de foto, "Cuando la gente me pregunta cuál es mi papel en el sindicato de inquilinos."  (El cartel dice "risa".) Nos aporta risa, militancia, sabiduría y amor.
</div>
<div>Cientos de personas contribuyeron generosamente hace tres años, cuando Dont fue hospitalizado por última vez. Estamos muy agradecidos por su continuo amor y apoyo.
</div>

Dont's Medical Care and Recovery

<div>On 1-3-23, Heaven gained an Angel. Keenan was taken away from us unexpectedly and way to soon, leaving Syncere without a father. Anyone who knew Keenan is aware how much he loved his son. Keenan was adamant about raising a well rounded and properly educated young man. We are requesting any donation you can provide towards our donation goal to help with Syncere’s current education and future college tuition. We appreciate your generosity and well wishes!<br />
</div>

In Loving Memory of Keenan Anderson

<div>(UPDATE: We hit our original goal in under 24 hours! We're keeping up the GFM through the end of the week; see the latest post for more information)
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>On the evening of Monday, November 14, most of the equipment for <a href="https://ponchostlayudas.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Poncho's Tlayudas</a> was stolen from a basement in South Central.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>The stolen equipment includes:
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<ul>
<li>2 commercial electric drum fans
</li>
<li>2 speaker boxes
</li>
<li>1 ladder (aluminum frame 6')
</li>
<li>1 cooktop gas grill (2 burners)
</li>
<li>1 propane tank
</li>
<li>1 stainless steel cooking grate (60 x 24')
</li>
<li>1 red, personalized "Poncho's Tlayudas" canopy (8x8 ft.)
</li>
</ul>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Alfonso "Poncho" Martinez is one of the best chefs in Los Angeles, serving what is likely the best tlayuda found outside of Oaxaca.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>His weekly pop-up (acclaimed in the pages of the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/04/dining/oaxaca-food-los-angeles.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York Times</a>, <a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/chefs/alfonso-poncho-martinez-combines-food-activism-raise-awareness-los-angeles-indigenous-communities" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Food &amp; Wine</a> , <a href="https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2022-04-28/ponchos-tlayudas-review-addison" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Los Angeles Times</a> , <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=bill+esparza+ponchos+tlayudas&amp;rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS984US984&amp;oq=bill+esparza+ponchos+tlayudas&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57.4968j0j7&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eater LA</a> , <a href="https://www.lataco.com/an-ode-to-oaxacan-l-a-friday-nights-at-ponchos-tlayudas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LA Taco</a>, and many others) is a pillar of LA's Zapotec and greater Oaxacan communities.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>If you have ever been fortunate to meet Poncho, it is easy to see how dedicated he is to his family, his friends, his business, and his community.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Without quickly replacing this equipment, Poncho will be unable to functionally re-open Poncho's Tlayudas.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Any amount will be so greatly helpful in allowing Poncho to get back to making his tlayudas and offering one of the truly most special experiences in Los Angeles.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>As a final note - this GoFundMe has been setup at the express request of the Romero-Martinez family, and all funds are being sent directly to Poncho's Tlayudas.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Thank you in advance for your generosity, and for supporting this extraordinary person in a time of great need.
</div>

Help Poncho's Tlayudas recover from a major theft

#BlackLivesMatter-Los Angeles is the original chapter of the global movement built to challenge state-sanctioned violence against Black people and to vision and build a just and free society. Since 2013, BLM organizers have been doing work to disrupt systems of oppression and work vision and build the kind of world in which we want to live.. <br /><br />Our work includes non-violent direct action, policy work, movement building, strengthing alliances, community self care, and creative engagement.  We are not a direct service or charity organization. However, we are connected to, engage with, and provide as much support as possible to the families of those killed by law enforcement, many of whom have become members of BLMLA.<br /><br />Over the past 5 years, our membership has grown from 30 original members to thousands in 38 chapters around the globe, with Los Angeles remaining one of the largest, most active chapters.  As we continue to challenge the system, there are real costs involved.  We need your support for materials and supplies, travel, and facilities costs related to actions, meetings, and our ongoing work.  Please give what you can and encourage others to do the same.<br />#BlackLivesMatter

Black Lives Matter - Los Angeles

<div>My name is Robin Hatch and I'm a classical composer from Toronto, Canada, as well as a touring musician, currently playing keyboards in the band Fucked Up.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I'm looking for funding to help produce my next album, a piano LP to be recorded in September 2022. EMEAPP, an electronic museum in Harleysville, PA, has graciously offered me a residency to spend a couple of weeks recording on Keith Emerson's Model D Steinway piano.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>The Canadian granting system is somewhat of a crapshoot, and because I did not receive a grant for this record I'm reluctantly reaching out to source crowd-funding.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Here is where the money will go:
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>-Covering the cost of driving to/from Toronto, accommodations, and food in Harleysville PA for ten days. $1000 CAD/$762 USD
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>-Paying for artwork and layout as well as press photos: $1000 CAD/$762 USD
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>-Pressing 200 vinyls and 200 CDs. $2700 CAD/$2060 USD
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>-Hiring PR for three months: $3150 CAD/$2400 USD
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>More about the album:
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I wrote this album in May 2022 at a cabin in Ojai, California. The music itself is a spectrum drawing from minimalism like Philip Glass, Satie, and Paart, over to heavier traditional influences like Stravinsky and Rachmaninov. It delves into Messaienic modes, transcription of bird sounds that I ran through autotune and repitched, and then more contemporary artists such as Nick Drake and Brad Mehldau. Conceptually, the purpose of the cabin was inspired perversely by manifestos written off the grid during psychotic episodes. I am fascinated by the depths the brain will travel to in isolation.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I am five years sober after experiencing a psychotic episode myself that resulted in a PTSD diagnosis. I started releasing original music via a therapist's recommendation as a way to calm myself down, and make sense of what was happening in my mind. As painfully corny as it sounds I truly believe in the power of creative expression as a tool for healing, and that there is a non-violent way to make sense of what's happening in your mind when you lose touch with reality. Sort of like if Jack Torrance from the Shining was big into meditation and going to trauma therapy.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>For anyone that follows me on social media, I'm pretty open about the glass ceiling as far as being a female composer in Canada. The niche market lends itself poorly to finding a label, let alone a manager, or a booking agent. The last four years, this has been a one-man operation.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>My most recent self-titled piano record was awarded <a href="https://amp.theguardian.com/music/2019/dec/06/robin-hatch-robin-hatch-review-discover-a-new-grammar-for-piano" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Contemporary Album of the Month by the Guardian (*</a>***), and was compared to Keith Jarrett and Conlon Nancarrow. I performed live from "Works for Solo Piano," during the CBC's piano week, <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_KjFTsWKwW0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">which you can watch here</a>. 
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div> "TONTO," my self-produced synth album from last year recorded on the legendary synthesizer, was <a href="https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/robin-hatch-tonto-interview" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">featured on Bandcamp Daily</a>, and included special guests like Eric Slick, Leland Whitty, Joseph Shabason, and Nick Thorburn. 
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>I'm not expecting to receive the full amount but anything you can donate helps. Thank you for considering! 
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><br />
</div>

Olga Lexell