Due to unforeseen circumstances, Laugh & Grills: A Comedy Cookout has been rescheduled and relocated to a different venue. This story will be updated with further details once provided.
The stand-up comedy fundraiser Laughs & Grills: A Comedy Cookout, sponsored by organization Living Life Through Love (LLTL), a nonprofit dedicated to creating affordable housing solutions for underserved communities, will take place Sunday, Oct. 13 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Pomona College’s Rose Hills Theater. The event will feature four stand-up acts from Los Angeles County and catering by local vendors, with all proceeds supporting LLTL’s housing projects and community initiatives.
Founded by Claremont Graduate University (CGU) dual-doctorate student DeMaree Williams, LLTL aims to provide affordable housing solutions for veterans, as well as Black, Hispanic and other communities of color. The organization offers housing construction, housing education programs and credit counseling services for individuals who might otherwise struggle to afford a home.
“The goal of [the event] is to have people come down, enjoy some comedy and fundraise so we can get people their first down payment for a home,” Williams said.
The event will feature performances by comedians La Rance Braggs, Cedrik Whittaker, Warren V and Louis Smith and will be hosted by comedian Rafael Wright. Rainy’s Authentic Soul Food and Walt’s Wings will provide catering.
Though the event was independently organized, the Claremont Colleges’ Office of Black Student Affairs (OBSA) and Chicano Latino Student Affairs (CLSA) helped with logistics and promotion.
“Our office assisted DeMaree by helping identify a venue and strategizing logistics to help him become familiar with organizing events on a campus different from his own, and will help promote the event to students,” the OBSA sent in an email to TSL.
LLTL creates pathways to generational wealth for people from underserved backgrounds. Williams said he believes home ownership is a crucial step in building generational wealth.
“As a fellow veteran and BIPOC individual, oftentimes we don’t get the amount of resources that are out there…[that could] help us [compete on] the same playing field,” Williams said.
The organization serves individuals in greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, but is looking to expand its reach. To date, the organization has helped around 30 individuals navigate the home-buying process.
Williams draws on his family’s construction background to build homes on plots of land — as little as three to five acres — which can accommodate around 30-50 housing units. They sell these homes directly to first-time buyers, cutting out middlemen like brokers and agents to reduce costs.
“The overall goal is to be able to give people the resources they need not just to own a home, but to increase their generational wealth.”
Williams emphasized the importance of building micro-communities — groups of smaller homes on a larger shared plot of land where residents can support one another. These communities support individuals in areas beyond just home ownership, providing a sense of belonging.
“The overall goal is to be able to give people the resources they need not just to own a home, but to increase their generational wealth,” Williams said.
As a part of that mission, Williams said he believes in the development of the entire individual.
“We want to focus on the mental, physical and spiritual well-being… because in order to have financial health you have to have all of those three things together as well,” Williams said.
Williams is working to partner with mental health experts to ensure resources can accommodate individual circumstances. He is looking to provide spaces, like gym facilities and parks, where those in micro-communities can engage with one another and foster a sense of unity.
In addition to housing initiatives, LLTL offers financial literacy workshops. An upcoming session at CGU in November will include a course that will help first-time buyers understand budgeting and financing options. This winter, they plan to host a one-stop-shop in the Inland Empire, where lenders, credit counselors and real estate agents will be present on-site to assist local buyers through the purchasing process.
As LLTL grows, so do their partnerships. LLTL seeks to work alongside Habitat for Humanity and the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) to become official HUD Counselors. The organization also plans to collaborate with the event Black College Expo under the National College Resources Foundation (NCRF). The founder and CEO of NCRF, Dr. Theresa Price, also serves as a board member for LLTL.
These future initiatives reflect LLTL’s progress and potential for growth.
“LLTL is quite new, its direct impact is just beginning, but the vision to empower families through sustainable housing and financial literacy is clear and promising,” Dr. Juanita Johnson, a member of the Board of Trustees for CGU, said.
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