By Darlene Donloe
Contributing Writer
LOS ANGELES — It’s the break of dawn and Luther Keith Jr. of Central Urban Mission is already at work on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles or some other impoverished area — ready to service the thousands of people who call it home.
“This morning, I picked up a lot of clothes from a lady named Miss Bradshaw, some bags at St. Mary’s in Inglewood, and some bags from someone at King Drew Magnet High School,” said Keith, who started the organization to help the underserved. “I also got some stuff from a math teacher who gave me about 15-20 bags. I hooked up a lot of people on Fourth and Crocker.”
Keith, who delivers the goods personally to build a rapport with the people he helps, said he is sometimes on Skid Row during the day and at night because the need doesn’t stop.
“People are still hungry,” he said. “It could be 11 at night, 1 in the morning, whatever. They need clothes. They might be cold and need a blanket. I can’t stop helping because it’s not a convenient hour for me. All you have to do is look around and you’ll see many people, including children, in need. People are in need regardless of what time it is.”
In 2017, Keith established the nonprofit Central Urban Mission to “reach out and help folks in the community.” He does it with the support of Central Baptist Church in Inglewood, pastored by his father, Luther B. Keith.
“Our core mission is to be a blessing,” Keith said. “We want to clothe people, pray for them, and get them off the street and into a home.”
Keith, who always has an upbeat disposition, is a determined, dedicated community servant who credits his parents with his philanthropic mentality.
Growing up with five brothers and five sisters, Keith said he got the idea to help others by watching his mother (Dr. Lizzie Keith, who died in December 2021) and his father.
“My mother was a foster parent for 56 years,” he said. “She was strong and didn’t play no games. She treated everybody the same. She took care of the community in Compton. She fed them. She would take them bowling. She would lend people money. My daddy is a pastor. He is known around the world for his works.”
Through his crusade to “do something” about homelessness, Keith said he feeds between 400 and 500 people each day.
“There are about five or six locations I take care of,” said Keith, a married father of seven who lives in Compton. “At one site, I have upwards of 300 to 400 people, and another location has 75-80, another 150.”
Keith, 61, has many supporters and helpers who regularly restock Central Urban Mission’s clothes and food supply.
“People give me good food to give away,” said Keith, who keeps himself motivated through prayer, working out, and “staying away from negative folks.” “Stuff like spaghetti, beans, cornbread and donuts from various people. The mayor of Inglewood’s daughter made me two trays of mac n’ cheese, mashed potatoes, greens, chicken, and rice last week.
Big Mama from New Orleans gave me all the fixin’s. King Drew Magnet High School also helps. The basketball team goes out with me sometimes. The school’s Step Team is going to help me in May.”
Keith gets various kinds of food through his relationships and word of mouth.
“Food banks and churches hook me up,” said Keith, who works security at Kenneth Hahn Plaza. “One church gave me 250 jackets. Now I’m getting blankets because it’s cold out there. I also get adult pampers and baby clothes. I get all kinds of stuff.”
Venus Johnson, 62, who lives in Inglewood, has been helping Keith for seven years. She has given him clothes, bedding, shoes, towels and hygiene packages to give away.
“People need to know what this man does,” said Johnson, a caregiver for her mother. “He is a true warrior to the un-housed community and people in general. Rain or snow, nothing stops him from going out. I love what he is doing. If he could house them himself, he would. He is truly amazing. He’s a blessing. He’s fearless. He makes me proud.”
Leona Greenwood, 75, who retired from Northrup Grumman, has donated clothes and food to Keith for about four years.
“I help him five days a week,” said Greenwood, who lives in Compton and is a New Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church member. “I cook a lot of stuff for him. Right now, I’m making red beans and some chicken. I also made a big pot of soup.
“I always tell him to get some rest. He is faithful. He does good things. He’s a very giving, loving, concerned person. People love him out there.”
Mason Cobb, a linebacker for the USC Trojans, recently volunteered, helping Keith give away food, clothes, shoes, jackets and blankets to the un-housed on Skid Row.
“It’s about people, making connections, giving back, and making people smile. That’s what we’re doing it for,” Cobb said. “When you got extra, you give as much as you can. I try to give as much as I can. I’m blessed to have both parents in the home. I’ve always had a roof over my head.”
Since 1999, Keith has been helping the less fortunate, particularly the homeless, in Los Angeles County.
He also helps people find employment.
Central Urban Mission has secured job opportunities for nearly two dozen individuals at SoFi Stadium to provide long-term stability.
When he’s not helping the homeless, Keith, through his 89-year-old father’s Central Baptist Church, also helps with the prison ministry.
“We’ve had a prison ministry for 25 years,” he said. “We’ve had 100 people released through letters we wrote to the parole board. Now, some of them are doing trucking, construction, or security.
“I also want the brothers to put red and blue rags down,” he added. “I tell the young ladies the same thing. I tell them, ‘You have two choices – the rest of your life in prison or the grave.’ I want people to regain their lives and return to their families. That is a blessing.”
Keith, who is not a pastor but serves on the usher board at his father’s church, calls Central Urban Mission “a street ministry.”
He has several organizations and individuals that support him each month, including Compton Youth Build, Heart to Heart, BMW Security Company, Centennial High School and Willowbrook Jr. High, Breakthrough Church of God in Christ, Faith Inspirational Church in Compton, Prevailing in Christ Ministries in Carson, coaches and players on the Drew League basketball team, Michelle’s Kitchen, K.C. (an NBA referee), fans of the Dallas Cowboys and Central Baptist Church.
A recent Housing and Urban Development count of people in California experiencing homelessness determined that 30% were chronically homeless in January 2020.
Keith recognizes that Los Angeles has a problem with homelessness and is on a mission to address it. He believes he has a solution.
“Get these people into these empty buildings,” he said. “Fix them up, paint them. Get needed beds, dressers, and furniture, and then hire 24-hour security. That’s a quick way to get people off the streets.”
Keith wants everyone to know that just because someone is homeless doesn’t mean they don’t have value.
“You see them hanging out doing drugs, carrying cardboard boxes, etc.,” he said. “A lot of them come from good families. They just got caught up with the wrong person. Everyone deserves a second chance.”
Keith’s commitment, he said, is driven by a desire to bless others by offering them necessities and guidance.
“Every day, somebody needs something,” he said. “People ask if I get tired. I don’t get tired. I can’t get tired. This is not about me. It’s about helping.
“I thank the Lord every day. I want to help. I’m proud that I blessed someone with a meal. I feel good knowing I helped someone this morning.”
Keith encourages everyone to do what they can to help someone in need.
“You see them every day,” he said. “Do what you can. Gather some stuff you’re not using and give it to them. Somebody is hungry. Get them some food. Help somebody. We all can do something. Everybody can do something.”
Food and clothing donations can be brought to Central Baptist Church, 3120 W. 108th St., Inglewood, phone: 310 674-2622.
Darlene Donloe is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers who covers South Los Angeles. She can be reached at ddonloe@gmail.com.
