Janelle Monáe and team provide free meals in Inglewood during pandemic

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- Atlanta artist Janelle Monáe helped organize a plan to provide free meals during the pandemic. What started in Atlanta, made its way to Inglewood.

The event Monáe helped host was called #WondaLunch and they gave out ten thousand free lunches to everyone who registered ahead of time at Crozier Middle School.

"Everybody is struggling, but we're not all in the same boat," Monáe said. "My situation is not the same as a black mom who just got laid off."

This is the fourth lunch giveaway. The first three happened in Atlanta. The event organizers said they want to make sure the communities which may be disproportionately affected by the pandemic feel supported.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters was also in attendance handing out bagged lunches.

"When they said they wanted to come to LA, I said, 'Inglewood is the place,'" Waters said. "And guess what, the people have responded."

The drive-thru lunch giveaway was a team effort between Janelle Monáe, Wondaland Arts Society, Jidenna, Angela Rye, Congresswoman Maxine Waters and the Inglewood Unified School District.

The pre-packed meals were provided by Project Isaiah and prepared by Gate Gourmet.

"We hope to go around to other cities and just help out families and help out people in need during this time," Monáe said.

With music playing, people dancing and positive energy flowing, event organizers said they hope this type of event can help relieve some of the stigma around needing help.

"So, this gets rid of the shame or the stigma around needing food and really just needing help," Jidenna said. "In these times and any time, we always have to lean on each other."

"It's going to be the people that help the people. It's going to be us," Monáe said. "We can't depend on our administration, our president. It's going to have to be us showing up."

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