Frequently Asked Questions
General Information
When and why was the People's Grocery founded?
People's Grocery was founded in 2002 by three residents who were disturbed by the lack of access to healthy food and its impacts on local health and quality of life in West Oakland. In an effort to promote healthy local foods and urban agriculture, the founders created People's Grocery as a model that integrates education, sustainable agriculture and the development of local food businesses. In addition to contributing to community health and awareness, the organization aimed to create training and employment opportunities for youth and adults in the community, and to support a new vision for economic development based on principles of sustainability, health and self-reliance.
How did People's Grocery get started?
The idea for People's Grocery was born out of a working relationship with Willow Rosenthal, who was developing a community garden at the corner of 16th St. & Center St. in West Oakland. Willow went on to create City Slicker Farms while People's Grocery began its own garden on 55th St. in partnership with the North Oakland Land Trust. Expanding from gardening into education and outreach, People's Grocery launched the Collards & Commerce Youth Program which employed eight youth for the summer of 2003 in a program of urban gardening, community outreach, business classes and cooking and nutrition workshops. In August of 2003 the founders and their first crew of youth launched what has become the flagship enterprise of the organization: the Mobile Market, a grocery store on wheels that sells fresh produce, packaged foods and bulk foods at affordable prices. Though we started small, we have continued to grow.
What programs does People's Grocery currently offer to the West Oakland community?
Please see our "Programs" page.
What are the future goals of People's Grocery?
Fundamentally, People's Grocery is a health and wealth organization--our mission is to improve the health and economy of West Oakland. We are engaging the conversation around wellness, socio-economic status and social determinants of health through a food lens, and ensuring that diet and nutrition play a large part in the revitalization of communities. Check back soon for our strategic plan and 3 year goals.
Who can volunteer? How and when?
Anyone and everyone! You can drop in our Garden Workdays in Oakland or help out in our Greenhouse. Check our calendar for current volunteer opportunities or click the blue "Participate" in the upper right hand corner. Please contact "max@peoplesgrocery.org" for more info. There are also opportunities to volunteer in the office and to work on special projects as needed by the organization.
How can I donate? Is my donation tax-deductible?
You can easily make a donation online with your credit card on our secure website. Click on the blue top right hand button "Participate: Give/Act/Shop" to make a donation.
You can also send a check payable to People’s Grocery, 909 7th St., Oakland, CA 94607
All donations are tax-deductible.
Or you can buy some cool People’s Grocery Gear from us and promote our logo and our programs all at the same time. Click on the blue top right hand button "Participate: Give/Act/Shop" and click the link that says "Gear Shop"
How else can I support the food justice movement that People's Grocery promotes?
The best way to support our work and the work of other food justice organizations is to help increase awareness about the issues we strive to address. Believe or not, there are still many people who are unaware of the challenges that low-income communities face in getting access to healthy foods. Inform your family and friends about the work People's Grocery is doing and send them to our web page. You can also encourage them to volunteer with us or to shop with us. And finally, whether it's with People's Grocery or another business, encourage your friends and family to buy local foods, support local farmers and patronize local businesses.
Does People's Grocery offer programs for school groups?
We host many school groups, as well as neighborhood, church, and other youth groups, at our gardens and offer them the opportunity to participate in workdays and workshops. To arrange a visit to our gardens for your class or to schedule a peer presentation, please contact Jumoke Hinton Hodge, Program Director, at jumoke@peoplesgrocery.org.
Where can I go to get more information on food justice?
Our Links Page has many links to great food justice organizations and resources.
Donor Information
How do I donate to People's Grocery?
You can donate right now online! Click the blue top right hand button "Participate-Give, Act, Shop" to go to our secure website.
You can also send a check payable to People’s Grocery, 909 7th St, Oakland CA 94607.
Who do I contact regarding grants or stock donations?
Please contact nikki@peoplesgrocery.org, or call People's Grocery at (510)-652-7607.
Is there a minimum donation?
Absolutely not. No contribution is too small and we are grateful for whatever contribution you are comfortable making.
Where will my money go?
Your money will go towards the operating costs of our organization, towards the costs of our programs or towards special projects such as farm expansion and grocery store development. If you donate online you can indicate in the comment section what you want your donation to support. If you sending a check you can include a note about you want your donation to support. We can also arrange for donations to be made in someone's honor.
What is the annual budget for People's Grocery?
Our annual budget for 2009-2010 is approximately $600,000.
What is the fiscal year for People's Grocery?
Our fiscal year is from July 1 - June 30.
Glossary
What is food justice?
Food justice means providing access to good for all people, regardless of social or economic constraints. It means putting control of food production into the hands of the people who are eating it thus creating local jobs and small businesses centered around food production and sale. It also means understanding the deeper systemic problems that that cause the current food system to leave poor people underserved.
What is food security?
The Community Food Security Coalition defines food security as a condition in which all community residents obtain a safe, culturally acceptable, nutritionally adequate diet through a sustainable food system that maximizes community self-reliance and social justice.
What is a community food system?
A food system refers to the entire process of food production, distribution, and consumption. In most food systems in the United States, there is a disconnect between consumption and production in which consumers cannot clearly see or understand where their food comes from. A community food system means producing healthy food locally and distributing, marketing, and consuming that food locally. It allows farmers and their customers to develop relationships that enhance food security for both parties by cutting out the middle man.
To People's Grocery, a community food system means:
- Producing healthy food locally in a way that reduces harm to the environment
- Distributing, marketing and consuming that food locally
- Putting control of food production into the hands of the people who are eating it
- Providing access to food for all people, regardless of social or economic constraints
- Educating the community about food and nutrition
- Creating local jobs and small businesses and multiplying the effect of every dollar spent locally on food
When we change the way food is produced and change the minds of the people who eat it, we have the power to change a whole community.
What is grocery store redlining?
Grocery store redlining is the preferential placement of grocery stores in wealthy neighborhoods, where potential profits are greatest. Due to this selective practice, West Oakland residents must choose between one culturally inappropriate grocery store and forty liquor stores for their food needs. A community-mapping project of West Oakland's food assets and resources in 2000 uncovered many aspects of West Oakland's food insecurity. In addition to a lack of grocery facilities, the study found that food prices at these convenience stores ranged between 30%-100% higher than average prices in supermarkets and that only 3 of the stores offered a suitable selection of fresh fruits and vegetables (Farfan-Ramirez, 2000).
What is Urban Agriculture?
Urban Agriculture is, simply put, the process of growing food in cities and in urban areas for consumption by the local population. With 80% of the world's population now living in cities and 90% of global consumption and pollution derived from cities, urban areas are increasingly important places in developing ecologically sustainable food systems. Urban agriculture is an effort to increase the capacity of local communities to grow food to meet their food needs, engage in enterprise activities and reduce our ecological footprint.
Why eat local?
By eating local we mean seeking out and consuming foods that are grown in your local area. Eating improves your health, provides great tasting and fresh foods, supports the local economy and supports local farmers. For more information on eating local visit: “www.Locavores.com”
Do you have more questions, want to interview us, etc.?
Do you have more Questions, want to interview us, etc.?
As a community based organization serving the needs of the West Oakland community, we are committed to addressing food justice and nutrition concerns within West Oakland and directing our work to benefit those who live here. We often get requests for observations, interviews, assistance in starting similar programs, etc. As much as we would like to help everyone and accommodate each request, our priorities must lie within our programs and with the youth as we have limited resources and staffing. In order to best serve both parties, we request that you offer reciprocal support in exchange for our time.
To schedule a People’s Grocery staff person for a presentation:
Our funding is limited to delivering presentations in the West Oakland, but we will consider a request outside of West Oakland depending on staff availability and audience. People’s Grocery’s process honors staff time and as such we ask that the organization requesting a presentation covers travel costs and honoraria for the speaker’s time. Honoraria range from $25 - $100, depending on the length of presentation, distance traveled, and staff’s level of experience. Payment will be worked out directly with the staff person available, and checks should be made directly in the speaker’s name.
Please send an e-mail to Jumoke@peoplesgrocery.org with the following information:
Your name and organization
Location
Requested date and time
Audience size and demographics
Topic you would like a People’s Grocery representative to speak to
We will ask appropriate staff if they are interested in presenting and get back to you within one week.
To learn more about People's Grocery:
1) The best opportunity would be to come to an urban agriculture workday, and staff would be happy to answer any questions in exchange for your help. Farm, greenhouse, and garden workdays are regularly held each week. Please check out our volunteer webpage at http://www.peoplesgrocery.org/staticpages/index.php/volunteer1 for details and contact information.
