Super Bowl champ feeds tiny-home villagers

Ex-Patriot McGinest greets homeless people at project site, serves up meals

Willie McGinest, a three-time Super Bowl champion and homelessness activist, provided hot meals to residents of the Whitsett West TinyHome Village in North Hollywood this week. McGinest, a Wing Stop restaurant franchise owner, was there to meet and greet residents — and dish up lunch.

The village is overseen by Hope the Mission, a faith-based independent nonprofit that works to prevent and reduce poverty, hunger and homelessness by offering immediate assistance and long-term solutions.

McGinest played in the National Football League for 15 years, mostly with the New England Patriots, where he was a three-time Super Bowl champion. He attended Long Beach Poly High and played at USC. He has served as an analyst for NFL Network, Fox Sports and ESPN.

The housing project was opened on Sept.9, 2021, by then-Mayor Eric Garcetti and Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian, who represents the area. The tiny homes aim to provide emergency housing, food, hygiene and other services, creating stable situations that help the homeless take steps to find permanent housing.

Tiny homes are innovative, affordable and “scalable solutions” aimed at reducing the homeless crisis — and they can be fairly quickly constructed. Each 64-square-foot tiny home at Whitsett West has two beds, heat, air-conditioning, windows, a desk and a front door.

Whitsett West Tiny Home Village is just off the 170 Freeway near Sherman Way at Whitsett and Saticoy Street. Built by the city of Los Angeles, it provides 77 units and 150 beds and is estimated to annually help nearly 600 people take a step toward getting off the streets.

In early 2021, Hope the Mission launched the first tiny home village in Los Angeles, the Chandler Boulevard Tiny Home Village in NoHo. The city has partnered with Hope the Mission to fund and build five more villages: Whitsett West, and Alexandria Park, both in NoHo; Tarzana Sun Flower Cabin Community; Reseda Cabin Community and Arroyo Seco in Highland Park.

PHOTOS BY HANS GUTKNECHT — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Willie McGinest, a three-time Super Bowl champion, serves hot meals to homeless people at the Whitsett Tiny Home Village in North Hollywood on Wednesday. McGinest provided the food for the residents and spent some time talking with them.

Hot meals provided by McGinest, a Wing Stop restaurant franchise owner, are served at the Whitsett Tiny Home Village in North Hollywood on Wednesday.

McGinest, who played with the NFL for 15 years, and Ken Craft, CEO and founder of Hope the Mission, talk after serving hot meals at the Whitsett Tiny Home Village in North Hollywood on Wednesday.