Mandela Partners facts for kids
Mandela Partners is a special group in Oakland, California. It used to be called Mandela MarketPlace. This group is a non-profit organization, which means it doesn't try to make money for itself. Instead, it works to help communities that don't have a lot of money. Their main goal is to make it easier for people to get healthy food and good healthcare.
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How Mandela Partners Helps Communities
Mandela Partners has done many things to help people. They focus on making sure everyone has a fair chance to be healthy. This includes getting good food and having access to health services.
Past Projects for Youth and Families
From 2007 to 2013, Mandela Partners ran a program called West Oakland Youth Standing Empowered (WYSE). This program helped young people in West Oakland.
WYSE: Empowering Young People
The WYSE program taught young people about how food and health connect to social justice. This means they learned how everyone should have fair access to healthy living.
WYSE helped in several ways:
- They worked to make West Oakland easier to walk around. This is called walkability.
- They helped improve public transportation.
- They cleaned up and made local parks better places to play.
- They even started a garden at an elementary school.
Food to Families (F2F) Program
Mandela Partners also had a program called Food to Families (F2F). This program offered workshops about health and wellness. It also had cooking demonstrations. These events helped families learn how to eat healthier.
F2F mostly worked with pregnant women and their families. They taught them how eating nutritious food could make them and their communities healthier. The program also created a special cookbook called Mommas Kitchen Stove. This book was written by "senior moms" who shared their healthy recipes.
The Mandela Foods Cooperative
In 2008, Mandela Partners opened The Mandela Foods Cooperative. This is a grocery store that is owned by its workers. It's also a place where people can learn about nutrition. The idea for this co-op came from people living in West Oakland. They asked Mandela Partners for a local grocery store.
Learning and Access at the Co-op
The Mandela Foods Cooperative offers classes about healthy eating. It's in a great spot, just two blocks from the West Oakland BART station. This makes it easy for people from West Oakland and other parts of the San Francisco Bay Area to visit.
Supporting Local Farms
The co-op buys its fresh produce from small and medium-sized farms. These farms are usually within 120 miles of Oakland. The Mandela Foods Cooperative helps these farms by buying their products. They also create a way for healthy food to reach local stores and organizations at good prices.
Awards for the Co-op
The Mandela Foods Cooperative has won several awards for its work in the Food Justice Movement. This movement works to make sure everyone has fair access to healthy food.
- 2012: San Francisco Bay Guardian Small Business Award - Employee Owned Business
- 2011: Oakland Indie Award - The Ripple Effect
- 2011: Ella Baker Center - Ella Award
- 2010: Robert Redford Art of Activism Award - James Berk, Mandela Foods Cooperative Worker-Owner
Helping Small Businesses with Loans
Mandela Partners works with an organization called Kiva. Together, they help people in West Oakland get small loans. This is called microfinance. The organization helps local business owners get micro loans of up to $25,000.
Mandela Partners also gives one-on-one help to these business owners. They connect them with other resources. This helps them build and grow their businesses.
Current Projects for a Healthier Community
Today, Mandela Partners continues to work on building local economies. They want to increase access to healthy food. They also support family farmers and aim for a healthier community.
Healthy Neighborhood Store Alliance (HNSA)
One of their projects is the Healthy Neighborhood Store Alliance (HNSA). This project helps West Oakland residents get healthy and affordable food. Mandela Partners delivers fresh food to some of the well-known corner stores in the community. They also offer nutrition education and help improve these stores.
Weekly Fresh Produce Events
The organization also holds weekly events. At these events, people can buy fresh produce directly. This makes it easier for residents to get healthy fruits and vegetables.
Ashland Cherryland Initiative
Mandela Partners is also part of the Ashland Cherryland Initiative. They work with other community programs in Ashland, California, and Cherryland, California. Together, they created the Ashland Cherryland Food Policy Council. This council gives advice to local government leaders. Their goal is to create policies that lead to greener and healthier environments.
