Redemption and Robots; Alexi Devilliers
People in the parks
I recently got to sit down with an artist of dedication, great ingenuity, and humor. Alexi Devilliers has been feeding the homeless in Phoenix for over 8 years, even through times that were financially tough for him, he says, “I don’t know how I feed them every Saturday, they kinda sometimes come before myself.”
Alexi and his wife Denise ended up in Phoenix almost seventeen years ago after leaving Hialeah Florida. “We rented a Penske and drove west, not quite sure where we were going.”
In Florida Alexi worked as a medical technician bringing all types of medical machines and equipment to the elderly. He said that he saw them in such poor conditions sometimes, “There would be 20 or 30 of them there in unsanitary conditions, not really being taken care of…and then I came to Phoenix and saw people of that age on the street. I knew I wanted to help out.”
Alexi started helping out by taking left over meals to people in the parks of Phoenix. “The next step I took was buying about 40 lean cuisine meals, baking them, and taking them to people on the street. It cost me about $70.”
Discovering his Calling
“I started thinking, what if I cooked up real meals, what if I cooked up some rice, some beans, and meat. I wanted to see what I could do with $50 worth of food and I found that I could make about 80 meals.”
(Meals cooked and delivered by Alexi to Justa)
When he did this, he said that he handed out about 20 meals to the homeless he saw in the parks and then started to drive down Van Buren, handing out more meals to people he saw there.
Alexi recalls, “I found a small trailer park that had about 4 or 5 families living there with nothing to eat so we dropped off about 20 meals there.”
“We drove down the street and saw about six old people standing outside a door so we pulled over with the ten or so meals we had left,” He recalls how he excitedly handed the meals out, “and then the door opened and there was about 80 more people inside the door.”
(Picture from one of Alexi’s Saturdays at Justa)
This place he recalls finding is the Justa Center in Phoenix (1001 W. Jefferson) which helps homeless elderly and veterans find housing to get them back on their feet.
Setting an Example
“They help place them into apartments, give them (the basics) to start their apartments, if you don’t have an address you screwed. They also have programs to get them money, medical, but there is no cooking in the facility.”
He went on to explain where his part came in, “The Salvation Army brings them these little square meals Monday through Friday, but not everyone who goes there qualifies for a meal.”
He expressed how that was upsetting to him and how it sparked his idea to start bringing them meals on Saturdays.
I found out that Alexi has a passion for cooking and it actually started at a young age, “I was the number two of five children and remember helping my mom cook. If I wanted something decent to eat that wasn’t formula or mashed I had to make it myself.” He also mentioned that he used to make bologna cups which I now feel the need to try, “You put bologna in the oven and it curls up.” Who knew!
His cooking has since evolved and he is able to provide 100 (Cuban style, he calls them) meals to deliver to the homeless with his wife and 4 year old son Adonis by his side.
(Alexi shopping with his son Adonis for the people of the Justa Center)
Turning Trash into Treasures
Every Saturday he cooks a main dish to feed the elderly at the Justa Center, such as barbeque chicken, chili, so on. He not only provides them with a main dish but he also provides a side of fruit, bread, and desserts such as pudding.
His ingenuity not only comes from finding creative meals to feed the homeless on a budget but what he creates with the left over cans from these meals.
Alexi told me that right now in his back yard he has two big stacks of cans with 500-600 cans each which will soon be turned into robots.
(Some of Alexi’s unique robots)
“Every single one of them is absolutely different, some might be similar, but no piece is ever (exactly) alike, every piece is unique.”
Robbie the Robot
The first robot Alexi created was Robbie the robot which he describes as “A life size piece of rusted cans strapped together with no face and no personality.”
He told me Robbie sold for $8 in a moving sale which was such a crazy thought to me because now his robots start around $29 dollars and are featured in museums internationally.
(Alexi and Robbie, his first robot)
Turning a Passion into a Full Time Job
His robots help him to supplement the cost of feeding the homeless and have become a full time job for him.
Years ago, he tells me, he was working three different jobs to make ends meet. Alexi was working as a maintenance worker, a lawn mower, and doing technical work for a friend of his.
His inspiration to start selling his robots came when he had lost two of his jobs, his wife had announced she was pregnant, and he was still absolutely determined and set on continuing to feed the homeless.
He said selling 3 or 4 robots a week supplemented the cost of feeding the homeless and then it slowly took off from there.
Giving back to the Community
Eventually he lost his last job, at the same time his wife was no long able to work because of the baby, and he began relying on his robots to keep them afloat. “I started making cold calls to all kind of galleries, about 4 out of 50 actually took me seriously.”
Now his work is featured around the world in places such as India, Pakistan, France, and even China.
(Some of Alexi’s work at Method Art Studio)
Locally his work is in a few galleries in Scottsdale, Prescott (shout out to Ian Russel Gallery of fine art), and even the Phoenix Children’s museum where with a $50 donation to the museum you can have your very own robot. Alexi calls it an adoption fee.
Alexi also holds a raffle each month where he sells $10 raffle tickets through PayPal to raise money for the Justa Center and the work he does there. All proceeds go towards the cause and the winner gets to go pick out their very own robot from his collection.
(A picture from Alexi’s time at comicon;
“father and son”)
Alexi says he is more about giving back than making the business a monetary situation. He says he is happy as long as he is able to make robots, feed the homeless, and feed his family.
He has donated over 100 robots to different organizations, so many he can’t even recall, “At least 8 have been the dogs I create, to the humane society.”
Redemption
When I asked Alexi what giving back meant to him he told me it meant redemption, “I lived in Miami in the 80s where you had to be cutthroat and I decided I didn’t want to be like that anymore.”
He says when he stops creating, he tends to feel down, depressed, and anxious. On the other hand Alexi says that when he is working on his robots he feels energized and excited.
How to get Involved
Not only is Alexi a creative coper but also brings joy to others with both his robots and the time and effort he puts into his meals for the elderly. (He even told me that when he has a busy weekend where he is backed up with art projects or events and doesn’t have time to cook that he goes out and buys pizza or subs to take to the center.)
(Another Saturday at the Justa Center)
To anyone who wants to give back but doesn’t know where to start Alexi says, “Start with the people in the parks,” And to, “Stick with it…All you gotta do is give back a little bit a week.”
Uncovering true Character
In Florida he used to make robots and airplanes out of beer boxes for fun and now creates robots, sharks, and so many other creations that have helped different charities, some even selling for $400 and upwards.
Alexi is at Frist Fridays in Phoenix each month with his robots and opportunities to donate to his work with the Justa House. If you see him there I highly suggest stopping by; not only are his robots definitely worth looking through but his sense of humor is sure to make you laugh.
(Alexi’s booth at First Fridays in Phoenix)
He confided in me that he was a “grumpy, old man” however (and sorry to ruin your rep. there Alexi), I have to say he is a such a kind and thoughtful person.
His whimsical creations and determination to serve others is a true reflection of his character and it was a fun experience to get to sit down and get to know him a bit better.
Amazing!
Wow, what an inspiration!