Progress 06/01/23 to 05/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period (FY 23 - 24), Farming Hope reached several key target audiences through our various programs. Through our Apprenticeship Program, we aim to help individuals who face significant barriers to securing employment, such as former incarceration, homelessness, a combination of the two, or others. Our Apprentices frequently come from the Tenderloin neighborhood, specifically the 94102 and 94103 zip codes, areas known for their high concentrations of poverty, housing instability, and substance abuse issues. The challenges they face are multifaceted, including social stigmatization, limited access to resources, and unstable support systems. The majority of the individuals we serve through our Apprenticeship program are from BIPOC communities, who are disproportionately affected by systemic inequities, such as racial discrimination, economic marginalization, and limited access to education and healthcare. The Apprenticeship program is a 12-week paid job training program that provides our Apprentices with hands-on experience in the culinary arts, where they learn essential kitchen skills, such as food preparation, knife skills, kitchen safety, and etiquette. On top of the culinary training, we also assist Apprentices with resume writing, job searching, and interview preparation to help them transition into stable, long-term employment. Through our Community Food Programs, we aim to help individuals and families experiencing food insecurity, particularly those with young children, and who come from low-income and underserved communities in the area. Again, this group often includes racial and ethnic minorities, single-parent households, and elderly individuals who may lack access to nutritious food. By providing free, culturally-relevant meals through our community dinners and grocery distribution programs, we directly address the immediate nutritional needs of this community while creating a network of community and support. Approximately 20% of the food served through Farming Hope's food programs is recovered produce, which reduces the amount of food waste that would otherwise be sent to landfills. We serve the community with meals delivered to organizations that are part of our community meal partner network, such as Compass Family Services, Conard House, Urban Alchemy, and Booker T. Washington Community Service Center. Our twice-weekly family dinners serve families living in transitional housing. The dinners, which are a plated, three-course meal served restaurant-style, center dignity and connection, offering a unique opportunity for families to bond, rest, and support one another, which fosters a sense of belonging and unity that is essential for community well-being overall. After dinner, families are invited to shop for groceries at our pop-up food pantry. This pantry is stocked with fresh produce, centering health and dignity over simple cheap calories. One of our frequent program participants, who is a single mother to a 3-year-old, has reported that the impact of the program is, in her words, immeasurable. "The program provides an opportunity to enjoy a healthy dinner with the community...fostering a sense of togetherness and support." This statement truly encompasses what everyone at Farming Hope aims to accomplish. Through our programs and the food that we serve, we build social connections and foster a sense of belonging among community members. We aim to reach each of these audiences for the following reasons: 1 in 4 San Franciscans are food insecure. 1 in 100 San Franciscans is homeless. 30% of households with children in San Francisco struggled with food insecurity There is an epidemic of loneliness in our communities Joblessness is the number one contributor to homelessness. Formerly incarcerated people are 5x more likely to be unemployed. 30-40% of food grown is wasted. The food industry is yearning for enthusiastic candidates. Changes/Problems:Challenges include Apprentices deciding to withdraw themselves from the program. When recruiting Apprentices, we search for people who demonstrate a readiness to re-enter the workforce and try to prioritize those who may be in relatively more need of a chance to make a change in their life. It's a delicate balancing act that we perform during the recruitment process and are ecstatic when our Apprentices see the program through to the end. We are understandably disappointed when an Apprentice has to withdraw, but are always understanding, and we ensure that the Apprentice knows that we will continue to be supportive of their endeavors and that they are welcome to return, if they want to. Our doors are always open to our Apprentices. We understand the commitment to the program is a big one and we strive to respect and meet our Apprentices where they are. Because on an increasing need for food support (inflation, cost of food increases, CalFresh reductions post pandemic), more families come to Farming Hope for food. This has meant longer lines and recently an incident of conflict between clients. . We have implemented a number of changes to address this issue, such as creating time slots so families can schedule when they will pick up their groceries. We are happy to report that this has helped with line management and we have heard positive feedback from families about the change. They are especially grateful that we made the changes immediately as it let them know that we truly do care about their safety. We also reached out to the Tenderloin Community Benefit District, another nonprofit in the neighborhood, who can provide staff to help support during our grocery distribution days. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In FY 23 - 24, 3 Apprentice cohorts of 44 Apprentices started the program. Led by our experienced Culinary Director, our kitchen team and program team work with these 44 job-trainee Apprentices to develop both hard culinary skills and general job soft skills, such as teamwork and communication. Other key components of the curriculum include: Basic kitchen training: knife skills, workplace safety, food handling, and kitchen clean up. As the curriculum progresses, Apprentices learn various cooking methods (boil, fry, sautee, etc.), chopping techniques, baking techniques, and recipe development. Life skills and professional development: resume writing, job searching, interview preparation, personal finance, growth vs fixed mindsets, and public speaking. They are also taught how to stand out in the job market by writing effective cover letters, researching potential employers prior to the interview, and preparing a dish to bring to the interview. Nutrition and health education: classes on nutrition and healthy eating habits. Special events: Apprentices are also invited to assist during our special, guest chef dinners, where they can apply their skills in real-world settings (see full list of pop-up guest chef dinners under "products/outputs question). A recent guest chef dinner with the Flour + Water Hospitality Group resulted in one of our Apprentices being hired as a Prep Cook at Flour + Water! How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated to communities of interest through multiple avenues: Partner networks: We maintain an open line of communication with our community meal partners, which includes organizations that refer families to our services and to whom we deliver meals to, so that we can exchange information about our programs, share our outcomes, and success stories. Apprentice Graduation and Dinner: The achievements of our Apprentices are shared during the end of cohort graduation ceremonies and Apprentice dinners. The Apprentice dinner is a ticketed event and open to the public. Apprentices design the menu and work in teams to practice and prepare their specialty menu items. This dinner is the perfect way to showcase the skills the Apprentices have learned! The graduation ceremonies are open to friends and family of Apprentices and their case workers. This ceremony celebrates the accomplishments and the determination it takes for an Apprentice to complete the full 12-week program. Annual Farming Hope impact reports aka Gratitude Reports: every year, Farming Hope publishes an annual impact report that details the outcomes of all of our programs and captures our goals for the coming years. Data includes the number of meals served, Apprentices trained, and community events hosted. This report is distributed to donors, partners, and the broader community to highlight our successes and areas of impact. Newsletter: Farming Hope sends out a monthly newsletter. Over 40% of our subscribers open our newsletters! Advisory Council: The Advisory Council is a diverse group of community members dedicated to creating awareness around food justice and assisting Farming Hope's efforts to make our community a more equitable place with opportunities and nourishment for all. They specifically help with spreading awareness about Farming Hope, event support, fundraising, and volunteerism. Coalition memberships and presentations: Farming Hope is an active member of several coalitions like Shape Up SF, Food and Agriculture Action Coalition Toward Sovereignty (FAACTS), REDF Green Jobs Affinity Group, and Catalyst Kitchens. We have also presented to the SF Food Security Task Force and Sugary Drink Distributor Tax Advisory Committee. By being active members in these coalitions and giving presentations to other groups working in SF's food space, we have been able to establish a presence and reputation within our community and are known as being an organization that offers thoughtful programming and support to everyone connected to us. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will strengthen and reinforce our reputation and expand our impact through partnerships and thought leadership. For example, we are actively seeking new partnerships so we can expand upon and improve our food recovery program. We also recognize that our greatest successes have come from leveraging and optimizing opportunities as they arise, and we will continue this spirit of entrepreneurship, staying nimble and open to possibilities. For the Apprenticeship Program, we host open houses to provide information about the program to the broader community and to recruit potential Apprentices. We consistently communicate with our referral partners so they are aware when we are recruiting a new cohort of Apprentices. We are also looking for food business incubators to help graduate entrepreneurs. We are planning to expand our social enterprises to include retail partnership/wholesale food production, developing an equitable hiring toolkit and consulting business, and hosting Apprentice-led cooking classes.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? In FY 2023 - 24, 35 Apprentices graduated from and 44 Apprentices enrolled in the Apprenticeship Program. The program maintained a commendable 90% graduation rate. 31 out of 35 graduated Apprentices secured full-time or part-time employment within six months of completing the program. This represents an employment rate of approximately 89%, which is above our target of 85%. Notable employment partners include The Rustic, BiRite Market Commissary and Kitchen, Flour + Water, Recchiuti Chocolate, Oracle Park, and Saluhall. Furthermore, our graduates achieved an average wage of $21.76 per hour, reflecting high quality and effectiveness of our training and support services. This success demonstrates our commitment to providing meaningful employment opportunities and fostering economic stability for our Apprentices. During the grant period, we cooked 170,657 meals for food insecure neighbors through our delivered meals program and 5,980 dinners through our Tuesday and Wednesday evening family dinners. This equates to 176,637 total meals cooked during FY 23 - 24. During the twice-weekly family dinners, an average of 69 guests were served each night. As for our food recovery program, we recovered 26, 498.5 pounds of produce during this grant period

Publications