Alchemist Cdc

WE CONNECT SACRAMENTO AREA COMMUNITIES TO LAND, FOOD AND OPPORTUNITIES

FARMERS' MARKET PROGRAMS: PROVIDED CALFRESH PROCESSING SERVICES FOR 9 FARMERS' MARKETS, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO AN ADDITIONAL 13 MARKETS AND FARM STANDS, TO ENSURE THAT LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS HAVE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD. ALSO OFFERED THE MARKET MATCH INCENTIVE PROGRAM THAT MATCHES CALFRESH BENEFITS SPENT AT FARMERS' MARKETS. MARKET MATCH EMPOWERS LOW-INCOME SHOPPERS TO MAKE HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES BY OVERCOMING FINANCIAL BARRIERS. IT SUPPORTS JOB CREATION, LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT BY LEVERAGING THE BENEFITS OF FARMERS' MARKETS FOR A BROADER COMMUNITY. IN 2021, ALCHEMIST CDC PROCESSED 29,689 CALFRESH TRANSACTIONS, AND FACILITATED THE DISTRIBUTION OF 499,586 IN CALFRESH AND 302,174 IN MARKET MATCH INCENTIVES TO LOW INCOME HOUSEHOLDS.

FOOD BUSINESS TRAINING AND INCUBATOR: ALCHEMIST KITCHEN IS A FOOD BUSINESS INCUBATOR FOCUSING ON ENTREPRENEURS FROM LOW-INCOME BACKGROUNDS AND UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITIES. THROUGH THE END OF 2021, THE PROGRAM HAS SERVED 83 BUSINESSES. THE ENTREPRENEURS WE'VE SERVED ARE 70% ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR, 68% LOW-INCOME, 64% FEMALE, 19% LGBTQIA+, AND 19% ENTREPRENEURS WITH A DISABILITY. THE ALCHEMIST MICRO- ENTERPRISE ACADEMY (AMA) IS A 12-WEEK FOOD BUSINESS TRAINING PROGRAM COVERING FUNDAMENTAL TOPICS FOR STARTING AND GROWING A FOOD BUSINESS. IN 2021 WE GRADUATED 34 BUSINESSES ACROSS TWO COHORTS WITH EACH COHORT OF AMA HAVING OVER 48 HOURS OF INSTRUCTION AND 25 GUEST INSTRUCTORS. THE ALCHEMIST KITCHEN INCUBATOR PROGRAM (AKIP) PROVIDES ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT, GOAL PLANNING, CONNECTIONS TO RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES, AND REDUCED-RENT AT COMMERCIAL KITCHEN SPACES FOR PARTICIPATING FOOD BUSINESSES. IN 2021 WE DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES IN THE INCUBATOR PROGRAM, RECEIVING A COMBINED TOTAL OF OVER 260 HOURS OF 1-ON-1 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. INCUBATOR PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS USED 558 HOURS AT ALCHEMIST KITCHEN AND HAD A COMBINED TOTAL OF OVER 140,000 IN SALES. WE ALSO CONNECTED THESE BUSINESSES TO OVER 23,000 IN GRANTS. IN MAY 2021, WE OPENED ALCHEMIST KITCHEN, A SHARED USE COMMERCIAL KITCHEN. IT PROVIDES AFFORDABLE COMMERCIAL KITCHEN SPACE, WHICH HAS MADE A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE FOR OUR ENTREPRENEURS AND THEIR ABILITY TO GROW THEIR BUSINESSES.

NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENT: RECOGNIZING THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS OFTEN HAVE THE BEST INSIGHT AND IDEAS FOR ADDRESSING THEIR OWN COMMUNITY'S NEEDS, WE SEE ALCHEMIST'S ROLE AS BUILDING A TRELLIS THAT PROVIDES THE STRUCTURE AND SUPPORT ON WHICH GRASSROOTS EFFORTS CAN FLOURISH AND GROW. TO THAT END, ALCHEMIST CDC SERVES AS THE FISCAL SPONSOR FOR MULTIPLE GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY PROJECTS, INCLUDING: 1) COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS 95820 PROJECT, WHICH PROVIDES FREE WEEKLY LOCAL PRODUCE DELIVERIES TO HIGH-NEED, FOOD-INSECURE FAMILIES IN SOUTH SACRAMENTO; 2) COMMUNITY FRUIT PROJECT COORDINATES VOLUNTEERS TO HARVEST FRUIT FROM RESIDENTIAL TREES AND REDISTRIBUTES IT TO FOOD BANKS AND DIRECTLY TO LOCAL RESIDENTS; 3) COMPOSTING AND CLIMATE EDUCATION PROJECT PROVIDES QUARTERLY REMOTE WORKSHOPS ON HOUSEHOLD COMPOSTING AND RELATED CLIMATE BENEFITS. ADDITIONALLY, ALCHEMIST CDC IS COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH LOCAL NEIGHBORS TO REMAKE BLIGHTED LAND INTO VIBRANT, NEIGHBORHOOD AMENITIES THROUGH DIRECT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, DESIGN AND HANDS-ON PARTICIPATION IN CREATING PUBLIC GARDENS AND COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACES. THESE PROJECTS INCLUDE: THE OAK PARK ART GARDEN (FEATURING A 15-FRUIT TREE PUBLIC FOOD FOREST, NATIVE POLLINATOR GARDEN, SPRAY ART FREE WALL, AND ART INSTALLATIONS); OAK PARK SOL COMMUNITY GARDEN (FEATURING 17 RENTABLE PLOTS, AN OUTDOOR KITCHEN AND CHILDREN'S GARDEN/CREATIVE SPACE); AND THE PANSY COMMUNITY GARDEN PARK (FEATURING 9 RENTABLE PLOTS, CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUND, PICNIC AREA AND 5 FRUIT TREES). ALCHEMIST CDC ADDITIONALLY PROVIDES COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OPERATIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE MIRASOL VILLAGE COMMUNITY GARDEN, FEATURING 68 PLOTS, OVER 30 FRUIT TREES AND GRAPE VINES, AND AN OUTDOOR KITCHEN AND EDUCATION AREA. THESE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE COMMUNITY SPACES PROVIDE A PLACE TO GROW FOOD, EXPRESS AND SHARE CREATIVITY, DEMONSTRATE SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES, SHARE KNOWLEDGE AND BUILD COMMUNITY CONNECTIVITY.

OTHER PROGRAMS: PARTICIPATE IN COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS TO DEVELOP AND EXPLORE SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEMS, COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AND RELATED HEALTH AND WELLBEING CHALLENGES FOR LOW-INCOME AND UNDER-RESOURCED NEIGHBORHOODS. ADVOCATE FOR SYSTEMS CHANGE IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES.