Would Works and Lulu Set the Table for Opportunity
Staff and artisans from Would Works enjoying lunch at Lulu. Darryl Moore is third from left.
Darryl Moore loved working with his hands but had never done any woodworking before. He was willing to try, though, when he joined Would Works, a nonprofit social enterprise that provides paid job training in woodworking to people who face high employment barriers and are often housing-insecure and/or unhoused in Los Angeles.
The organization produces high-quality, handmade wooden products that are sold direct to consumers through their website and in bulk through wholesale vendors. One of Moore’s first projects was an order of 50 small wooden bread plates for Lulu, the legendary restaurateur and food activist Alice Waters’ first foray into Los Angeles.
“At first it was hard, but once I got the mechanics down it was pretty cool. It was very eye-opening to see how the wood was cut and sanded. I never knew how many steps there were in making things like this,” said the 29-year-old Los Angeles native.
He and his fellow artisans put the plates to good use on a recent lunch visit to Lulu. “I really enjoyed eating off them when I was at Lulu,” he said. “Something I put so much effort into, it filled me with joy to see them in use at the restaurant.”
Conceived by Waters and led by acclaimed chef, writer, and cookbook author David Tanis, Lulu prioritizes sustainability through local, regenerative food and design. The collaboration with Would Works was a natural fit and something of a dream come true for Michele Liu, Would Works’ Executive Director.
“I really wanted to work with Alice Waters because of her long history of pursuing access to fresh, quality food for everyone,” said Liu. “So many of the people we work with are food insecure, and it’s important to partner with people who share our mission.”
She was delighted when designer Sean Daly reached out to her. He was sourcing bread plates for Lulu and was looking for something locally made. He had seen some small circular cutting boards Would Works had made for Farm to Curb, an organization that arose during the pandemic to help support farmers.
“Taking inspiration from Alice’s vision, my design partner Christina Kim and I were committed to keeping that same ethos in our own ‘regenerative design,’ and finding as many locally made products as we could,” said Lulu designer Sean Daly. “Would Works made it all come together. Michele’s leadership and the craftsmanship of the team allowed us to customize the most beautiful table objects.”
Would Works hopes to grow its partnerships to provide more opportunities for job training and self-sufficiency for people facing barriers to housing and employment.
Previous projects include a collaboration with People’s Pottery to create butter knives and dishes for sale, and compost sifters for LA Compost. They are also working with Old California, a purveyor of handcrafted home goods, to create a variety of housewares.
As for Darryl, he’s excited about where his woodworking experience will lead him. ““I kind of gravitated toward it,” said Moore. “It turned out to be a very beautiful experience. I want to keep doing this. I feel like I could have a future in it.”
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