The Station - Luis Rodriguez

Luis Rodriguez - Interview Transcript

We don't want to just talk the talk, “oh, The Station we're a community, we help”, we do this, because people will remember this, man. People will remember in five years from now, or even in two years from now, in a year from now. They're gonna be like, "Yo, remember when that shit happened? "The Station was there, man." “They did this food drive for a month a half, two months, three months” , whatever long it takes, but for me, as a father, for my kids to be like, yo, remember Mom and Dad, they were there, helping everybody. So we're trying to teach our kids humility, unity, community, love, compassion, you know what I'm saying? So that for me is very important. So when they're old enough to understand those things, they will get that, right? They will grow up to be some amazing human beings, because Mom and Dad were there, right? We were there as an example, as a foundation for them to be like, “Yo”.

Well, the food bank was brought to me by my friend Ray Morales which is the Vice Principal at Cleveland High School. They knew that the kids were not gonna go to school anymore and they had a pantry, so they were like, "Yo, we have all this food, "and we know, Luis, that you have done this many times "in the past where you help". We posted on Facebook. We posted in social media. And that food lasted maybe about three, four, five days. But because we posted online, people just kept coming, bringing more, bringing more, bringing more. And I think that a lot of people were trying to figure out how they can help, as well, right? I think that we all want to help somehow, but sometimes people either don't have the drive or they don't know how. And I think that we all need the push, like, hey, I broke the ice, let's do this, right? And it just took a life of its own.

And I know that all this conversation is super serious, right, and I'm not, I'm a very joyful, funny guy, you know? And all of that can be, like I can be joyful, funny guy and also take care of the serious matters, right? But for the most part, I'm like, man, funny jokester, but also I will shine when it's time to shine. And I know when is the time to help. How can you do both things? How can you be jokester? How can you be politically correct but also I'm gonna help my people, I'm gonna help my community, I'm gonna help, you know.

We lost 60% of our sales, right? Sometimes you don't need everything. You don't need the 100%. We as human beings we are resilient and we're resistant, right? And from this, unfortunately, you have to learn something. So I learned a lot of stuff. I know that my community has my back. I know that during times like these, during very difficult times, I can shine. And I know that I can help and be okay with 40%.

So anybody can come to the station and get food, right? Because I feel that as humans we tend to get embarrassed, right? And for some people it might be a little humiliating to come in there, especially people that used to come as customers and now they don't have a job, right? But I try to be the most humble, to be, "Yo, this is our food, this is for all of us", right? I even try to be like, in front of people, "Hey, can you pass me some of that?" Straight up I'll be like, "Hey, can you pass me an apple? "That apple looks good." And I'll just wash it and eat it. That to me was my way to lead by example, to be like, yo, this is not only for only for quote unquote "the poor". Yes, it's based on the marginalized people, the people with no money, but sometimes there are people who are still making little money but the money that we're making. So it's like, come on, guys, this is ours. Please help yourself.

I base my style of community because of my father. So if you leave some type of positive platform and energy to your children, if you create, if you build, they will create and build. I don't expect them to be the next Dalai Lama, right? But at least to know that we can all help as one. We are all one, right? 'Cause at the end of the day, we all need each other as human beings.