Good Karma offers meals, water, vaccines to unhoused in Skid Row

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- There's something good happening in L.A.'s Skid Row, and it all started during the pandemic. Seasonal firefighter Vishal Narayan started the Good Karma Los Angeles. It's a way of life his father taught him.

"Good karma just means doing something good for someone else; it can be anything. You can help somebody cross the street, you can help somebody hold their groceries, and you could hold the door for someone else. What does it mean to you?" said Narayan.

In this case, every Wednesday at noon, the Good Karma is bringing free meals, bottled water, and other necessities to one of L.A.'s most vulnerable populations. And during our visit, COVID vaccinations as well. Shenika LaFrances Walker lives in Skid Row.

"In the past month and a half, I've lost three friends to COVID. They were very clean people. People get hesitant, but pretty soon they're gonna be marching in like stallions," said Walker.

"Spread that good karma, you know, use the right terminology, stop calling the unhoused bums, call them unhoused, unhoused neighbors, unhoused residents, unhoused friends, have that mutual respect for folks," said Narayan.

Narayan says it's important for him to mentor L.A.'s youth by being an example of doing what's right - one meal at a time.

"I'm going to do this for the rest of my life," said Narayan.