FEED AND BE FED

FISCAL RECEIVERSHIP FOR THE HARBOR NEIGHBORHOOD RELIEF FUND: ALTHOUGH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL INDVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS STRUGGLING WITH POVERTY AND HOMELESSNESS IS NOT CENTRAL TO OUR MISSION, THE FEED AND BE FED DOWNTOWN GARDEN IS GROUND ZERO FOR SAN PEDRO'S HOMELESS POPULATION. WHEN ASKED BY THE LOCAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO FUNCTION AS FISCAL RECEIVER FOR AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC, FEED AND BE FED SAW IT AS A NATURAL EXTENSION OF OUR ABIDING COMMUNITY SUPPORT. THE HARBOR NEIGHBORHOOD RELIEF FUND, AS IT BECAME KNOWN, DISTRIBUTED OVER $80,000 IN MICRO GRANTS AND RESTAURANT VOUCHERS TO OUR NEIGHBORS IMPACTED BY THE COVID 19 ECONOMIC FALLOUT. WTH THE END OF THE PANDEMIC, THIS FUND RECEIVED A SUBSTANTIAL GRANT FORM THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES TO EXTEND ITS WORK WITH THE CONTINUED FISCAL OVERSIGHT OF FEED AND BE FED.

6TH STREET OPEN GARDEN: TWO DAYS A WEEK AND ON THE FIRST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH, OUR URBAN GARDEN IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. DURING THESE SESSIONS COMMUNITY MEMBERS, REGARDLESS OF AGE OR ABILITY, ARE IVITED TO RELAX, PLAY OR ASSIST GARDEN STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS IN THE PLANTING, MAINTENENCE, AND HARVESTING OF OUR ORGANICLY GROWN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE SEED STARTING, PROPIGATION, THINNING AND TRANSPLANTING, COMPOSTING, PRUNING, POLLINATOR INTERFACE, ORGANIC FERTILIZING, PEST IDENTIFICATION AND NATURAL CONTROL AND PREPARATION OF PRODUCE FOR MARKET. VISITORS LEAVE WITH GREATER AWARENESS OF CRITICAL ISSUES AROUND SOIL HEALTH, FOOD WASTE RECYCLING, ORGANIC FARMING PRINCIPLES, AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR SMALL SCALE LOCAL FARMING. OUR MONTHLY EVENING OPENING COORDINATES WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY'S "FIRST THURSDAY", WHEN PEDESTRIANS ARE ENCOURAGED DOWNTOWN BY STREET VENDORS, SPECIAL OPENINGS AND ENTERTAINMENT. THE FEED AND BE FED GARDEN GLOWS WITH TIVOLI LIGHTING AS WE PRESENT A PROGRAM BY LOCAL MUSICIANS COMPLIMENTED BY DISHES FEATURING GARDEN VEGETABLES AND PREPARED BY ASPIRING LOCAL CHEFS.