In partnership with Mayor Karen Bass, nonprofit Hope the Mission cooked 10,000 meals for people in their homeless shelters while simultaneously hosting a community run and a cleanup at Hansen Dam.
Hope the Mission President Rowan Vansleve recounted how it began with Bass’ office reaching out to them to ask about hosting a volunteer cleanup at the park as part of Shine Los Angeles – a movement by the mayor to beautify neighborhoods throughout the city in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, 2027 Super Bowl and the 2028 Olympics.
At the same time, Bass has kicked off her reelection campaign for mayor – her term ends in December – which has seen more than 20 candidates throw their hat into the ring, including LA City Councilmember Nithya Raman.
The nonprofit was on board, but quickly came up with the idea to do more than just a cleanup, using the opportunity to cook meals for thousands of homeless people currently living in their shelters and host a community run. Eventually, the event grew bigger and bigger and eventually became “a bit of a party.”
The Family Fun Run 5K was one of the first events held on Saturday, Feb. 7. Vansleve estimated that 500 runners at all skill levels joined in, including those preparing for the LA Marathon next month.
After the run, Heights Wellness Retreat, a business that offers massage, skincare and wellness services, offered participants free massages.
Next was cleaning up the park in Hansen Dam, which Vanselve said had taken “a beating in the last big rainstorm,” leaving trash and debris strewn about. More than 200 volunteers came out to help beautify the area.
But arguably the biggest event of the day was the preparation of thousands of meals using 7,000 pounds of brisket and other meats donated by Shamrock Foods. In addition to food sold to hungry attendees, approximately 10,000 meals were made to be distributed to the homeless residing in Hope the Mission’s 33 shelters.
The meat was slowly smoked for 36 hours, starting Friday morning, with the help of artist Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters and his barbecue crew called Backbeat BBQ.
“We gave everyone a BBQ dinner that Saturday night. It was phenomenal,” Vansleve said. “Then we did a special BBQ dinner again for those watching the Super Bowl in our shelters. So we were able to give out all 10,000 meals within about 24 hours, which was fabulous.
“There’s something really [magical] about food, especially when it’s cooked with such love and care.”
Both Hope the Mission and Bass also took the time to honor Raven Tracy – founder and creative director of Body by Raven Tracy, a women’s lifestyle brand and apparel label – for buying toys and throwing a Christmas party for families residing in the nonprofit’s Woodland Hills shelter.
“It was really good to see the government, the private businesses, all being gathered around by a nonprofit that’s doing the work,” Vansleve said. “It was really the best of LA. [It was] such a great day.”
Running for a Cause
Vansleve was one of the many participants in the Saturday morning 5K, but instead of stopping after the approximate three-mile run, he kept going until he completed a full marathon-long distance of 26.2 miles.
It was Vansleve’s 34th marathon since Dec. 13, 2025, when he launched his campaign to run 50 marathons in 90 days to raise awareness and funding for the homeless in LA. The goal is to run a total distance of 1,310 miles by March 8, which is when the LA Marathon will be held, to meet his goal to raise $250,000.
On their website, Hope the Mission has received more than $69,000, but it has also received large checks from people looking to contribute. That same Saturday morning, for instance, one resident gave a check for $27,000. So far, Vansleve said, the nonprofit has raised just over $100,000.
Hope the Mission executives are no strangers to these kinds of endurance challenges. In 2024, Vansleve and Ken Craft, the nonprofit’s CEO, trekked 3,500 miles from their valley-based headquarters to Washington, D.C., on bicycles to raise awareness of the plight of homeless individuals – a trip that took nearly two months. Last year, Vansleve and Craft walked 1,300 miles from Seattle, Washington, to North Hills in an effort to raise $200,000.
But this challenge, Vansleve said, has been the most grueling by far, adding he would go back to cycling cross country in a heartbeat. He’s lost a lot of body fat and has been injured a few times, causing him to spend a lot of time trying to recover and keep his body healthy.
Fortunately for him, though, Heights Wellness Retreat has been providing its support to keep him going.
“They’ve reached out and asked whether they could sponsor me, so they’re keeping me from failing,” Vansleve said. “A couple of times, I’ve been really injured and thought that this is it, [but] I’ve been able to be with a massage therapist in their cryo chambers. … It’s kept me on the road. As of today, I haven’t stopped, and I’m well on my way to finishing the challenge.”
Vansleve said that without the generosity of businesses, like Body by Raven Tracy and Shamrock Foods, Hope the Mission would not exist.
“These are some of the most generous, incredible people,” Vansleve said. “There’s something really special in the valley. Look at all these businesses rallying around to help people who have fallen on hard times.”
To donate to Hope the Mission’s marathon campaign, go to https://hopethemission.org/50in90/.