Looking Back at 2011 and Forward to 2012
Plans are underway to Expand Mandela Foods Cooperative to better meet the community needs, and increase ownership and wealth building opportunities with an additional 25 jobs
Supported by the California Endowment FreshWorks Initiative, Mandela Foods Cooperative is engaged in expansion planning that will significantly increase affordable, healthy food options for West Oakland residents, and create new business owners in the community.
Meanwhile, product selection in the current store now includes
eco-friendly cleaning supplies, bath and body, paper products, and
more grocery variety on the floor.
Look for outdoor Cafe Seating coming soon!
Built out a new wholesale warehouse for Earth's Produce Distribution
The cold box is up and running – and sustainable produce is on hand. Sweet Paige Mandarins from Sweet Home Ranch
farms in Dinuba, Robust Greens from Catalan and Avalos Farms, Beets and
Cauliflower from Avilla farms, Strawberries from Yerena, and the list goes on. In 2011, we provided over 100,000 pounds of
fresh, local, affordable, and chemical free produce to West Oakland residents
and businesses!Next on this list is acquiring an ice machine and continuing to find ways to improve our temperature control/isolation plan so that our veggies are living in their appropriate climate.
Expansion of the Healthy Neighborhood Store Alliance (HNSA) in partnership with Alameda County Public Health, West Oakland Health Center, supported by Building Blocks Collaborative, The Kresge Foundation, and USDA’s Community Food Projects
Our
youth team members are quickly becoming serious business professionals
and have a lot of great traction bringing them into the new year.
If you stop in one of our HNSA partner stores, you will be awed by the
beautiful displays installed by our youth team leaders. They have also
increased their marketing and outreach activities, and are quickly
selecting new stores to add to their client list. In addition to their
2011 HNSA partners, Bottles Liquor and Millennium Market, we now have a
third client -- N&A Market -- that received their first delivery
this April!
In
addition, we have
provided over $2000 in fresh produce coupons redeemable at Bottles,
Millennium, Mandela Foods, and now N&A to participants of the Food
to
Families program, supported by Alameda County Public Health and Kresge
Foundation.
3) Building allies in Ashland/Cherryland to support their
community-led efforts to create a thriving, healthy food enterprise network, including a community-owned grocery retail.
The
Ashland Cherryland Garden and Arts Network, and broader community, are
planning for their Garden District community designation and a vibrant,
local marketplace. Residents involved in nutrition and healthy living
education, policy and landscape design are working together to form a
food policy council to increase the political voice in the community –
and keep Ashland/Cherryland green!
Interested in learning more about past projects?
2009: West Oakland Environmental Justice Transportation Plan
2010: Burbank Community Garden - WYSE & Planting Justice