Food from the Hood

Food from the Hood is a program started back in 1992 by a group of students from Crenshaw High School. There goal was to covert a garden overrun with brush into a garden to supply food for the less fortunate people in there community. Here's a timeline on how a band of people can take a weed infested garden and turn it into $140,00 in scholarship money.


On December 18, 1992, Food From the 'Hood harvested its first crop and donated 100 percent of its produce to Helpers for the Home less and the Hungry, a local area food bank. "


In July 1993, Food From the 'Hood attended its first public Farmers' Market in Santa Monica, where the company sold $150 worth of produce in just 30 minutes.
In September 1993, when school was back in session, the student-managers researched the food industry and conducted a survey. The student managers came to an astounding conclusion, that salad dressing was one of the best selling food products. Food From the 'Hood contacted Rebuild Los Angeles for their first grant in hopes of turning the vegetable gardens into a business.
Rebuild Los Angeles, introduced Food From the 'Hood to Sweet Adelaide, a leading salad dressing co-packer and manufacturer. Working with food technologist from Sweet Adelaide, Food From the 'Hood converted its homemade salad dressing into a reproducible commercial product. After six tests and reformulation, Food From the 'Hoods "Straight Out' the Garden" Creamy Italian Dressing was born.

Working with Marketing Specialists(a major food broker), the student-managers met with leading grocery store chains to introduce their product. Within two months, they had achieved 100% distribution in all major grocery stores.
Rebuild Los Angeles, presented the Food From the 'Hood with a check for $50,000 to be used to make the salad dressing dream a reality. Within six weeks, Food From the 'Hood created its corporate office and completed its first "batch" of dressing.

More than Business
The program's most unique innovation is that "student-managers" participate in running every aspect of the business. The "student-managers" design, develop, and create products; plant, maintain and harvest their own garden; make marketing decisions, develop business plans, and run the daily operations. Each student "banks" his or her work hours, and receives payment in the form of a direct scholarship paid to their post- secondary school, college or university. The program also provides academic tutoring, SAT and college entrance exams preparation, mentoring, and life skills training.

To date, Food From the 'Hood has awarded over $140,000 in college scholarships to the student-managers. 77 program graduates have attended two-year or four-year colleges or technical schools. Student Managers have been accepted to colleges and universities throughout the nation including Cal State L.A, University of the Pacific, Pitzer College, Concordia University, Babson College, Howard University, San Diego State, Tuskegee Institute, Morehouse, Stanford, University of California at Berkeley, Cal Poly Pomona, Clark-Atlanta, University of North California, USC, Chapman University, and much more. 20 program graduates receives their college degree in 2000, with 5 of them entering postgraduate programs.


Yes, people can still make a difference!