I'M CRYYYIN'!!! The kids texted me this 1st video! I rarely post, so here's a few videos of what YOUR GENEROSITY makes possible! . #1 Never had a Music Video about the Watts Empowerment Center... 'till NOW! Full vid on our site. . Song: Watts Empowerment Center Artist: @officialc5 @otb.daboys & STB Da Gang @kaymoney_115 @aka.47tony @ldeuce2250_ @bakcyardkid_ @thatboyceo Creative Producer: @pennylane401 Producer: @ayocleeezy Edit: @connor_lott & @dannymajorr . #2 Used to turn away children because we didn't have enough... This year we had over 4,000 (or more) bookbags and school supplies for our Back-2-School Backpack Giveaway! . 🎥💯: @xpokeyx & @shawnes . #3 WE WON @lacivilrights REPAIR Participatory Budget Vote! The first time in LA's history a Participatory Budget (democratic process in which community members decide how to spend part of a public budget) was formed. . Our Proposal was accepted by the Committee (hundreds of Applications). Made it to the Final Voting Stage. OVERWHELMINGLY WON THE FINAL ROUND OF VOTING! . This 12-Month Program will bring $363k to strengthen our After School Programming, Sports, Music and Field Trips! . Thank you to the City of LA, LA City Council (@timmcoskerla) and LA Civil Rights for listening to the voice of the commUNITY! . Props to our amazing Program Director, Annie, who also runs our Watts Summer Camp with 100 youth. . 🎥+🎤=💯 @taylortorregano Full vid on our site. . #4 We miss, love and celebrate you Bobby. Fly high and strong! We'll make you proud. . 🎥💯: @r.o.c_era . #5 Yang & Annie's Acceptance Speech for LA Civil Rights' REPAIR Participatory Budget. Proud how strong CommUNITY came out to vote! (We received more than DOUBLE the votes of the next group in our area, which was a University!) . #6 A little OVER 75 YOUTH INTERVIEWED to work with us this Summer! We believe in providing opportunities and outlets for our youth. . #7 THANK YOU to The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation @trishajcardoso and Lemonade TV @dan_am_i for making our weekly FREE Watts Farmers Market possible by getting us our 40ft Fridge! . #8 Our Drill Team and Drumline is better! Props to Deshawn for running it allll! . #9 TEAM . #10 Watts Summer Camp

Michael B. Jordan... Truly a champion of the people. The day before the worldwide release of your Directorial Debut (Creed 3) and you chose to spend it at the Watts Empowerment Center! Boxing/Sports with the kids, doing Q&A with the community, a zillion selfies with the kids, or you simply listening to a grieving mother talking about losing two of her children to shootings... Sheesh, you are a class act. One of my favorite moments was when you were in the Watts Empowerment Studio. A couple of the local youth worked hard writing you a song (#8). Not only did you take time to listen and celebrate them, but sincerely engaged giving life wisdom about not quitting, work ethic, and staying true to what is in your heart. Also, we are so grateful for your generous gift to the community for our Sports Leagues! Your Watts Empowerment Center family loves you MBJ. Excited about what is ahead!!! MGM & Jon Bock, you kick butt! #family

15,000 TOYS & $550,000 of Household Goods, Baby Supplies, Electronics, Food, etc! We are South LA/Watt's LARGEST Toy Giveaway... 17th Annual Watts Toy Giveaway to be exact. HUMBLED by the generosity of friends and the community to help make moments like this possible... HUGE thanks for the lavish and consistent generosity to the whole Kardashian and Jenner Family, the D'Amelio Family, PhatMojo, Purist Group and so many others! 2023 is our year!! Some unprecedented, AMAZING things will be taking place that is on the D.L. No hints! Just know, we will be making history in 2023! HISTORY WILL BE GOOD TO US, BECAUSE WE WILL WRITE IT! Write history with us!! Don't miss out. 🎥💯: @joelmuniz_

THOUSANDS OF KIDS chose their bookbag, school supplies and over $244,000 of swag and gear! HUGE thanks to Amazon and @kimkardashian #SKIMS for empowering the local community of Watts with all the "essential extras!" NOT ONE CHILD was turned away!!! So grateful to the world's greatest volunteers who understand this community should never get "left-overs" but truly deserve the best!! And the BEST is what we bring! The Watts Empowerment Center is "#1 Most Active CommUNITY Center in Los Angeles" for a reason! Over 16 years of consistently serving the local community. Lots of goodness has taken place, but we are just getting started! WATCH THIS SPACE!!!

WE DID IT!!! $80K raised to buy a 40ft Refrigeration Unit to create the FREE, weekly WATTS FARMERS MARKET! A MASSIVE thanks to @lemonade.tv @dan_am_i @mattmcguiredrums for being our Lead Sponsor along with The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation & @trishajcardoso for making this all possible!! The Rushton & Soule Families along with Charlie Cutler and Brotherhood Mutual really made magic happen. It takes a village... and the village showed up!!! . Whole Foods and Amazon agreed to give us 8-12 pallets of healthy food every week for the community! @foodfinderslbc delivers us, weekly, at least 15 pallets of food. It truly is a miracle of humanity's goodness. THANK YOU to all who donate to make this possible! . DELIVER HOPE! VOLUNTEERS NEEDED every Friday @ 9am to be part of our Set-Up Squad. The Watts Farmers Market is open @ 10.30am. . Thank you @muckrock for your GORGEOUS mural and your Graffiti Workshop about Passion & Skillz with the kids! SO INSPIRED! Thank you @childrenmendinghearts @lysaheslov who this all began with, at the beginning of Covid, with a small box of oranges. And now we are the "#1 MOST ACTIVE COMMUNITY CENTER IN LOS ANGELES" ... delivering 18-Wheel Truck Loads of Healthy Food to the community every week! And we are just getting started!!! . COMMENT + DONATE & GET INVOLVED: www.WattsEmpowerment.org

Sooo I adopted a baby Great Dane!!! NAME IDEAS?! . Currently thinking: Madison Dior Mayo. . She's expected to get 170lbs... Only 9 weeks old now! . ((Video is from "Watts Wednesdays" providing COVID relief because Watts is my family... If you aren't Volunteering on Wednesdays, YOU ARE MISSING OUT!!!))

WE PROVED THEM ALL WRONG! Welcome to IN COLOR! A fully immersive art experience celebrating #BlackHistoryMonth presented by @instagram and @facebookapp (& my Biz Mentor @sherylsandberg & @rtotheissa ) and curated by #LoveWatts . Black artistry, food, and sound collide as we honor Black Imagination and give back at the Watts Empowerment Center! . @love.watts you geniusly curated and organically brought creativity to life thru each exhibit (SO love you + @lindsay_cornell ) + @ghettogastro for infusing flavorful culinary dishes like no one else + @kidsofimmigrants for the masterful clothing creation hub + @mybeautifulcity and those from London who flew in to make all the dots connect perfectly (and they did) + @roaryroth @jillarielle @sun.ny.sideup for believing this was possible AND fleshing the idea into reality + @mrstarcity @rickydula @kingtexas @bloomandplume @thisreo @sugarygarbage (and any others I missed) I can't even begin to express how your unearthly creativity was truly angelic + @beatsbydre for sponsoring the audio component of the sculpture installation about suffering from mental illness + @kittycash for taking all of us on a magical journey with the music you spun together. . My Watts Family = none of this would mean a thing to me without you. Thank you for allowing those from London, the Bronx, and Hollywood come experience our heartbeat at the Watts Empowerment Center. LOVE YOU SO MUCH. Yang/Twin and Fam, I couldn't do this without you. Thank you for always looking out for our Community. God, I feel everyone blames You for everything. Yet this is our "Grammy Moment" so I wanted to give you a proper shout out from whom all blessings flow. Thank You for bringing Light. #blessup #andwejustgettingstarted #IGxLoveWatts #shareblackstories #facebook #instagram #wasthatpaintingtruly1.5andwhohasitnowhaha #thisisforyouPooh

LIFE IMPACTING helping organize Kobe Bryant's Vigil outside Staples Center... Countless flooding in globally to pay respects since. . I value family and work ethic, so I hold Kobe in high regard. This is what I've seen at Kobe's Vigil: EVERYONE MOURNS DIFFERENTLY. Sheesh I could go on and on about what I have seen and heard. 99% of the time I keep quiet. Most just want to "release" their emotions, be heard or a shoulder to cry on. Definitely been emotionally depleted trying to comfort so many that I do not know. "Mourn with those who mourn". . THE PERFECT MOMENT RARELY COMES. SPEAK UP NOW. So many chants of "MVP", "GIGI", (in honor of his daughter who passed), "Lakers", etc. Many share... Yet many walk away not sharing what is in their heart. Express your heart when you can! KOBE HAD TWO NBA #s: 24 and 8. He had both retired (he is only player in NBA history to have 2 numbers retired by the same team). He chose the # 8 after wearing 143 ("I Love You") at the Adidas ABCD Camp (1+4+3 added up). Interesting Psalm 24:8 speaks about a King and cray how royalty wears purple and yellow... colors of Lakers (thx @realjohngray for that thought). . PEOPLE VALUE LOYALTY. People keep expressing how Kobe stayed all 20 years with the Lakers. I didn't hear EVEN ONCE a mention how many points he scored in ANY game. He dedicated to LA his whole career and his time after retirement. PEOPLE TRY TO CAPITALIZE OFF OF YOUR LOSS. . "Mourning Vigil vs Selfie Vigil"... I was in utter shock watching global media and individuals push to capture footage. To be honest, I debated even posting this. The way I have this pic is a friend in Australia sent it to me when he saw the LA Times. It wasn't me taking a "selfie". I fought to protect the culture of Kobe's Vigil. I'm proud of that. SOME THINGS JUST DON'T HAPPEN. Been emailing with Kobe's assistant about the "Black Mamba" coming to the Watts Empowerment Center. I wanted to surprise the community. Sadly, I was the one surprised. Cherish your daily moments. FEELS LIKE WE ALL LOST A SUPERHERO. Cherishing any Kobe quotes if ya know 1? #ripkobebryant #ripgigi #kobebryant #lakers #blackmamba @kobebryant #lakersnation #24 #8

10k Toys for Watts!!! . Beyonnnnd grateful to all who made this day possible for the kids! . Especially love my momma for flying in to celebrate this day in Watts (also my BDay)! . Special Shout Out for Toys & Swag to: . @beyonce JayZ @kyliejenner @kendalljenner @krisjenner @kourtneykardash @khloekardashian @kimkardashian @logic @alexisren @childishgambino @feliciathegoat @lildickygram @chrisbrownofficial @meganhenderson @t.snell_ @cottonhoodapparel @saltandstraw @phatmojo Imperial Toys @jakkstoys and @loganpaul for bringing snow to Watts! . If you want to support, buy our clothing line Watts2250.com or youthmentor.org/donate . 🎥💯: SavMears 🎥💯: ChrisQuilala 📸🔥: PeteyKStyles 📸🔥: BrennenMcMurray . Comments are now OFF. I want to say straight up how grateful I am to many of my friends who donated of toys + swag + their time to make this day possible. Instead of the haters turning me off, you are simply fueling me... to stand up EVEN MORE for those who are often misunderstood, regardless of someone's socio-economic status... our whole Watts Family knows what it feels like to be misunderstood. We will not sway in our resolve. . The Watts Empowerment Center will continue to be a safe place for ALL of us to connect... not as society has labeled us, but simply as humans.

Our fam @kyliejenner again continues to look out for the Watts Empowerment Center!!! Watts is overflowing with love, food and a new playground this Thanksgiving! Year after year, you provide for everyone that comes to the Watts Empowerment Center a full Thanksgiving Dinner!!! Thank you to Watts and all the amazing Team of volunteers that prepared hot meals for the locals, homeless and all that wanted a home cooked meal. What makes this especially impactful is that today the power in our neighborhood of Watts went out. So having a warm, family cooked Thanksgiving Meal took on an even greater level of importance! Also, the kids lovvvve the new playground you got the community, Kylie!!! It is the only slide we have at the Watts Empowerment Center. So now I'm determined to find a way to build the kids a MASSIVE 3-Story Treehouse Playground!!! These little rockstars deserve the best. I can't even comprehend their joy after seeing them this happy! Turkey Bowl XI was a smashing success! The kids just started running home after they won the coveted 5ft Turkey Bowl Trophy! HaHa And such a beautiful, authentic moment took place as one of the girls started singing her song, "If You Wanna Be My Friend Forever." @chestersee you weren't a half bad backup! Smile. Happy Thanksgiving to our amazing volunteer family and those who call the Watts Empowerment Center HOME! People keep asking how they can support!? Go to Watts2250.com and buy some swag (and thennn buy some more for a friend for the holidays)! This streetwear benefits our local community as well as the Watts Empowerment Center! STYLE + IMPACT = NO BRAINER. www.Watts2250.com Let's GOOO!!!

PLEASE SUPPORT US!!! Excited to announce Watt’s @2250thebrand clothing (www.Watts2250.com) . We wanted to create a way that would not only support Red Eye / Watts Empowerment Center but create opportunities to benefit the families of Watts. Anyone can create an account and become a SOCIAL RETAILER (have a chance to raise funds)! . We are pretty good at hustling in Watts. So let’s create a positive hustle! . 2250: The address of hope. (The address of the Watts Empowerment Center.) . W.A.T.T.S. = We Are Taught To Survive . Now stop reading this! . PLEASE TAG some friends + POST on your page/story + and BUY SOME 2250 SWAG! . www.Watts2250.com . Grateful to @dan_am_i and @mydailylive.co for creating a platform that enables this. They have chosen not to take a penny from any of this! Thank you KTLA News for looking out for the community over the years. We are forever grateful. . Did I say SPREAD THE WORD and BUY SOME CLOTHES!!! . www.Watts2250.com

THANK YOU!!! Over 500 backpacks were given to children in Watts as they went back to school! . Each child and youth was able to walk through an "a la carte of school supplies", so they were empowered AND proud of their school swag's style! . The 100ft Slip-N-Slide, Soul Food, TWO Car Clubs bringing their rides and a 26ft Music Performance Stage were but a few of the highlights. . Thank you @dan_am_i and @t.snell_ for making the bookbags possible!! Thank you @juliepilat and @manrod_20 @womenmusictech for coordinating the insane music talent locally and abroad. Delphine your massive sound stage was a game changer! . @ednadee @imperial_courts @_lbc @rachaelroland and @hillsongla you made organizational magic happen for the kids! . @kyliejenner your pink sand created chaos but may have been the biggest hit... We are still scrubbing the pink "pixel dust" out of our hair!!! . And lastly THANK YOUUUU to all the moms in Ohio, sons in Nebraska, churches in Georgia, synagogues in New York, and people around the globe (you get the idea). This moment of empowement is possible THANKS TO YOU and the generous $20, $50 and $100 donations you all have given. . Please keep the blessings flowing for these amazing children and we are forevvver grateful! www.youthmentor.org/donate . 🎥💯 #1: @bc_serna 🎥🔥 #2: @savmears 🎥🎤 #3: @souplhf