Food from the 'Hood facts for kids
Food from the 'Hood was a special company started by high school students. They grew organic food and also sold natural salad dressings. This non-profit group began in 1993. It was still active in 2003, ten years after the 1992 Los Angeles riots that inspired its creation.
How It Started
The idea for Food from the 'Hood came about in 1993, after the 1992 Los Angeles riots. A biology teacher named Tammy Bird at Crenshaw High School met a group called Gardens For Kids. They offered to help her fix up the garden behind her classroom.
Soon after, Melinda McMullen, who worked in public relations, joined Ms. Bird. Together, they gave students at Crenshaw High a chance to help their community. They decided to clear a large, overgrown plot of land behind Ms. Bird's classroom.
At first, the students chose to grow organic foods. They planned to give 25% of their harvest to a local charity called "Helpers for the Homeless and the Hungry." They would sell the rest at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market under the name "Food from the 'Hood." After their first year, they had $600. This money helped fund small college scholarships for three students who were graduating. With more students needing scholarships the next year, they knew they needed a bigger plan.
Growing the Business
Getting Noticed
In October 1993, a writer for the Los Angeles Times, Ron Harris, shared their story in a popular newspaper column. Norris Bernstein, who used to be in charge of Bernstein's Salad Dressing, heard about the students' efforts. He contacted Food from the 'Hood. Mr. Bernstein was retired, but he offered to help them perfect their salad dressing recipe. He also helped them decide on prices and create a plan to sell their product.
Mr. Bernstein became an important adult adviser. Ms. Bird oversaw the students' garden work and managed the weekly trips to the Santa Monica Farmers' Market. Ms. McMullen worked on getting more attention for their project. Soon, CBS Morning News became interested. They sent a national reporter, Hattie Kauffman, to cover the story. Over the next three years, Ms. Kauffman became close to the students. She reported on Food from the 'Hood three times.
Expanding the Company
Within a week of the story airing on CBS Morning News, the students received an important call. It was from Rebuild LA, a group formed after the riots to help rebuild affected parts of the city. An executive from one of their main companies had seen the news story and wanted to know more. The students were ready with their business plan. Within a few weeks, Food from the 'Hood received a $50,000 grant. This money helped them grow their salad dressing company. In December 1993, the students also grew and donated holiday food packages to "Helpers for the Homeless and the Hungry."
A few months later, the students launched their first salad dressing flavor. This was the start of a line of three different Food from the 'Hood salad dressings. The group continued to get a lot of media attention. This included a visit from Prince Charles and a trip to Washington D.C.. There, they were honored at Newsweek Magazine's American Achievement Awards. Their salad dressing was then sold in over 2,000 grocery stores across 22 western states.
In 1995, the first students who started Food from the 'Hood graduated from Crenshaw High School. Almost all of them went on to attend four-year colleges. These included University of California, Berkeley; San Diego State; Babson College; Howard University; University of California, Santa Cruz; California State, Northridge; Stanford University; Cornell College; Carnegie Mellon University; and Morehouse College.
Later Years
Food from the 'Hood continued for several years after the original students went to college. It kept funding college scholarships for new students. In 2002, Oprah Winfrey gave the organization a large donation as part of her "Use Your Life" Awards. The organization eventually closed a few years later. However, many of the students who were part of Food from the 'Hood still keep in touch.
