Taco Tuesday

Today, John Paul joined fellow veterans at Taco Tuesday at Patriot’s Hall of Dripping Springs — a 10 acre retreat and resource hub for veterans, active military and their families to connect, grow and thrive. John Paul and Eloise were proud to help build some of these spaces for veterans and their families. After years of visiting it as a construction site, it is so good to see the whole space — the VFW meeting hall, the clinic, the obstacle course, the garden, the playscape — beautiful and in use.

For Taco Tuesday, there is self-serve tacos and coffee. John Paul shared some of his stories of his time in the Navy, and got to hear the story of a man and his Purple Heart in Vietnam. There was produce for vets to take home from the garden. We are so grateful to the Patriot’s Hall team, volunteers and vets for making this place what it is. If you’re in Central Texas and looking for a supportive veteran community, reach out to PHDS!

Grow Appalachia Gardens 2025

Our executive director Constance just wrapped up a week of touring gardens with Grow Appalachia — a program John Paul created more than 16 years ago in partnership with Berea College to help people grow their own food. The program has taken on a lot of forms and helped a lot of people grow a lot of food since then — more than 7,306,523 pounds grown! They use the average that organic food is about $2 a pound, so that’s more than $14 million in food produced by people for themselves and their communities. They have accomplished this amazing work by partnering with more than 70 nonprofits in the region spanning 5 states. For the 2025 growing season, they have 24 partner sites. This year’s tour took us to four sites across Kentucky and Tennessee, and we wanted to share some of the beautiful gardens and gardeners!

Owsley County, KY

We visited three market gardeners, a couple of whom sell at the Owsley County Farmer’s Market. Market gardeners have been able to grow enough food to sell at local markets. Just about every gardener will preserve (can, freeze dry) food and they also end up giving food away to neighbors.

Karin of Chabbit Farms

Mary and Ben Mulholland of Wild Willow Farms

Derek and Danielle Whitaker of Dark Holler Farm


Woodland Land Trust, TN

Sarah in her backyard garden

With the Woodland Land Trust team

Appalachian Resource Conservation and Development Council, TN

In the garden of Shakti in the Mountains ran by Cleo and Judy

Dr. Megan Tewell in a garden she’s growing in an abandoned lot she bought and refreshed

The Blevins Family

It’s life changing. We’ve learned so much about pest control, land management… getting seeds we might not have ever tried out. You can try these things without sinking a bunch of money into it. We are so thankful. 

- Becca Blevins, Motte & Bailey Farm


Rooted East, TN

We visited home gardeners in this new-to-Grow-Appalachia program in East Knoxville.

That is my goal - to eat out of my land. To feed people out of my land.

Alician Batts

When I come out here and see those cucumbers, it does something to my heart. It’s my first time growing. 

- Blenda McCrary, first time gardener

Nacira Hall in her garden

PLH, Grow Appalachia and Rooted East in Deidra Harper’s garden

This really makes me feel like I’m doing something. I’m accomplished. Just to be nurturing, taking care of something. 

Deidra

Thank you to all the site coordindators, Grow Appalachia staff and gardeners for letting us come visit!

Integral Care on Wheels

We were so excited when we heard from Integral Care about their idea to make mental healthcare more accessible to the unhoused and people all over Austin with Mobile Behavioral Healthcare Clinics. We were happy to pitch in to buy the first such unit — which we got to tour last week! The van will be on regular routes with partners like Sunrise Navigation and also be able to respond quickly to people in crisis. They will have the ability to treat, diagnose, dispense medicines as well as provide support and care in the form of medical professionals and supplies when appropriate. We loved that they even plan to have dog food on board — they are really thinking about the lived experiences of the people they serve! They are in need of at least 4 more vans to meet demand, so we are hoping we can get more community support around this innovative idea to provide critical mental healthcare.

If you’re in Austin and in need of emergency support, you can call Integral Care at 512-472-HELP (4357) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Press 1 for English, then 1 for mental health crisis support. Toll Free: 844-398-8252 TTY: 512-703-1395

John Paul gets a Key to the City!

On April 10, we gathered with partners Sunrise Navigation, Integral Care, Mission Accomplished and Keep Austin Fed at Austin’s City Hall to celebrate the Proclamation presented by Councilmember Natasha Harper-Madison as Peace, Love & Happiness Day. During the presentation, Mayor Kirk Watson SURPRISED John Paul with the Key to the City — a huge, well-deserved honor! We are so grateful to be based in a vibrant city like Austin, and look forward to many more years of working with partners to solve problems and make life better for as many people as we can. Here is the full proclamation:

Be it known that Whereas, 

John Paul DeJoria is the entrepreneur founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems and Patrón Spirits Company, an investor, a philanthropist and an Austin resident since 2000; and

Whereas,

The DeJoria family founded JP’s Peace, Love & Happiness Foundation in Austin in January, 2011; and

Whereas, 

The millions in philanthropic investments of JP’s Peace, Love & Happiness Foundation have changed the physical landscape of Austin for the better with the restoration of the historic Paramount Theatre, Mobile Loaves and Fishes’ garden, homes and the Entrepreneur Hub, the Peace, Love & Happiness Village and the John Paul DeJoria Skills Center at The Other Ones Foundation, the VFW Hall and Clinic at Patriots Hall of Dripping Springs, the forensic clinic Eloise House at SAFE, the East Austin food hub of Keep Austin Fed; and

Whereas, 

John Paul has been a leader through sharing his story of homelessness while also assisting homeless folks on the streets and in shelters through organizations like Hungry Hill, We Can Now, Sunrise Navigation, Salvation Army Austin, Mobile Loaves & Fishes, Saint Louise House, Mission Accomplished, the JP’s Peace, Love & Happiness Family Foundation Endowed Chair in the Department of Population Health at Dell Medical School; and

Whereas,

His decades-long support for local arts and artists in sponsorship of ConnectHER Film Festival, Eastside Kings Blues Festival, Austin Film Festival, Paramount Theatre; and

Whereas,

His donations that support healthy food access to organizations like Multicultural Refugee Coalition’s regenerative farm in Elgin, the food rescue efforts of Keep Austin Fed, the mobile food pantry at El Buen Samaritano; and

Whereas,

On the 25th anniversary of John Paul becoming an Austinite and the 14th year anniversary of his family foundation; and  Now, Therefore, I, Kirk Watson, Mayor of the City of Austin, Texas,  do hereby proclaim 

APRIL 10, 2025

as

PEACE, LOVE & HAPPINESS Day in Austin. 

ConnectHER Film Festival

For 11 years now, Eloise has been the presenting sponsor of the ConnectHER Film Festival — a global platform for young filmmakers to share short films about issues that impact women and girls. This year, for the first time, the film fest’s 12th annual event was held at Paramount Theatre, a beloved and gorgeous venue for these films and performances. Filmmakers past and present came from around the world, there were celebrity presenters and performances, but the heart of the fest every year is the stories told in the films.

For the last two festivals, John Paul has gotten even more involved by sponsoring the Global Impact Award on an issue that recognizes a film that identifies inequalities and injustices affecting women and girls around the world. We are looking for films that addresses a problem while also shining a light on an innovative solution – a local leader or a community-based solution. John Paul and Eloise loved and chose this film - Grit and Glitter - from Indonesia as this year’s award winner.

In addition, every finalist filmmaker will receive $2500 to give to the projects featured in their films to help increase their impact. Thank you so much to all the filmmakers who gave us such beautiful, hopeful films to choose from and to all the other sponsors, staff and volunteers who made this event possible.

Heart for Impact Award 🖤

John Paul and Eloise were awarded Selfless Love Foundation’s Heart for Impact Award last weekend at the nonprofit’s 10th annual gala in Palm Beach, Florida that raised $4.5 million for their work. Since 2015, SLF has helped more than 500 children get adopted in Florida, housed more than 600 youth, and provided thousands of hours of life skills and leadership training for youth aging out of the system.

“John Paul and Eloise have changed thousands of lives. The families that Selfless Love has helped to create through adoption, and the youth who are succeeding against all odds are now part of their legacy. They believed in Selfless Love when it was just a dream and have worked alongside us to make that dream a reality.”

Ed Brown, co-founder of Selfless Love Foundation.

They are so honored by this award and the ability to be involved as this organization was founded and now grown to have such an incredible record. As always, John Paul was a judge at Dream Tank, a competition that inspires and supports youth impacted by foster care. Five young women finalists presented their ideas that intend to use their experiences in foster care to help others. From designing affordable homes to providing supportive housing for teen mothers, the young adults shared their professional aspirations and did SO WELL.

Antonia Fede won the competition, receiving $5,000 for her speech about providing support and resources to help inmates transition out of prison and be successful in life. “I have gained a level of confidence that I never had,” Fede said. “Here I am using my voice and the skills I learned from this organization. How to network, how to stay resilient, how to stay patient, and how to go after what I desire.”  
It was two amazing nights that raised a lot of support for foster youth, and the DeJorias felt so honored. Thanks Ed, Ashley and Tony for your kind words and support!

Giving Tuesday 2024

This year John Paul really wanted to help nonprofits close the year out strong when it comes to food access in Austin. We offered 4 matching grants of $25,000 to 4 organizations doing amazing work helping folks get access to healthy food. Click their photos to learn more and we definitely recommend giving to their campaigns!

El Buen Samaritano

Their food pantry offers emergency food assistance with nutritious food to families and individuals in Central Texas.

KEEP AUSTIN FED

They reduce hunger and help the environment by connecting surplus food with neighbors in need.

WE CAN NOW

Refugee Collective

Their farm creates livelihood opportunities for refugees and increases food access through regenerative agriculture.

Their weekly outreaches provide nutritious food and meals to the unhoused folks living on the streets of Austin.

Hands for Hope 2024

This year the DeJorias joined El Buen Samaritano’s Hands for Hope Thanksgiving Event that distributed 1000 meal kits to 1000 local families in need of support this holiday season. The estimated value of each kit was about $75! John Paul handled getting turkeys into people’s car while Eloise distributed the butter and dry goods. Other team members were on site to lend a helping hand. With a DJ, committed sponsors and volunteers, this year’s event was SO fun and memorable.

Hands for Hope kicks off El Buen’s campaign to raise funds for food access all year long. We also pledged to match donations up to $25,000, so join us and please consider giving now!

John Paul DeJoria Skills Center

On November 1, we gathered at The Other One Foundation’s (TOOF) latest addition - the John Paul DeJoria Skills Center! It was a celebration of all the partners needed to come together to provide job training and certification for unhoused folks in Austin.

Built at the Esperanza Community, a non-congregate emergency homeless shelter in East Austin run by TOOF, the John Paul DeJoria Vocational Skills Center will offer a variety of professional and vocational training services; ranging from soft skills development to certifications and job placement in HVAC, auto-mechanics, welding, plumbing, carpentry, and other trades. These are some of the fastest growing and high paying trades as identified by Texas Workforce Solutions Capital Area (WFSCA). Pilot programming will be staffed by instructors from partners like Austin Community College and ReWork Project while WFSCA sponsors the tuition of the eligible unhoused students.

With a lack of affordable housing and rental assistance, and a constantly growing homeless population, Austin homelessness service providers are having to get creative with new ways to tackle housing. Pairing safe and dignified shelter, like TOOF’s Esperanza Community, with vocational training, is a new practice that will help people experiencing homelessness develop the skills necessary to find and retain housing, employment, and community.

“As someone who has been homeless twice, I know what it’s like to need a helping hand and have been fortunate enough to have good people support me. But I also believe in the American Dream, which is how I became the owner of the world’s largest privately owned salon haircare company, and top-selling tequila brand, among many other things. That’s exactly why I am proud that JP’s Peace, Love and Happiness Foundation is supporting what TOOF is doing right here in our local community of Austin. With the opening of the Skills Center, we are providing good people with the chance at the American Dream and I’m really excited to be providing a new approach to homelessness services.” — John Paul

We are so excited for people to start classes soon! Thank you so much to all involved in making this possible!