Welcome To The Family!

We are delighted that Andrea Theodore and Jorge Inda Meza are joining the GrowGood board of directors. We thought you'd like to get to know them a bit.

Andrea is executive vice president and CMO at Pharmavite, which makes Nature Made vitamins and supplements. She is in charge of leading marketing, strategy and venturing into new emerging spaces for the company. And she has more than two decades of experience in consumer goods at PepsicoEmerging Nutrition and Procter & Gamble. Her husband, Bob, is a builder who also wants to get involved. In fact, it was Bob who saw a posting about GrowGood and told Andrea, "I feel like this is made for you."

Jorge works for Anheuser-Busch as the head of marketing for western North America and is responsible for communications strategy and partnerships and brand programs.

We asked Andrea and Jorge a few questions. Here's what they had to say!

What made you decide that you and GrowGood
were meant to be?

Andrea: I moved to Los Angeles six years ago. My husband and I have always had a passion for inner-city issues and opportunities to grow communities. The first place I was able to use that passion was when I was on the Naked brand and connected with Wholesome Wave (a food nonprofit) to donate fresh fruit and vegetables. The opportunity to work on homelessness was a big one, and I really felt like GrowGood was the perfect place for me to exercise my passion, be involved with an organization that had the same sense of purpose.

Jorge: I think for me it was the notion that these ways of helping, growing food, are more powerful and more personal than just donating money. Having a platform that is about growingfood for a community that needs it and employing people and teaching people to give them job opportunities is such a powerful way of bringing good to the community. It’s such a unique thing, rather than let’s raise money to donate. I wanted to be part of the solution, rather than just a spectator. I have a strong attachment to the community; it is a Hispanic community for the most part, and I come from Mexico.

What are you most eager to get started on
at GrowGood?

Andrea: I am most eager to get my hands dirty and get to spend time with the people in the Bell community and be a part of it. From a board standpoint, I’m most excited to use the 24-plus years of experience I have in consumer goods, packaged goods and help other people see the passion and get involved.

Jorge: I want to help the team to get the word out, to get more and more people in Los Angeles, in Southern California and beyond to know about it, and to find out about the mission of the organization. And following that, telling the town and telling the world, getting people supporting it – donations, volunteering, getting the food out to more places. Making sure that as many people as possible know about it.

Anything else?

Andrea:  I’m sort of infatuated with Charlie (Southward, a farmer at GrowGood)
and I just want to be able to exude the same passion he does.

Jorge: I think to me it’s more that in today’s age, everyone can be involved in any sort of capacity to do good -- from sharing a newsletter with your friends to actually volunteering on the farm and making sure people who don’t have the same opportunities have food. In today’s world, if every reader could tell their friends about GrowGood, we’ll get a lot better. Thank you!

Whirlwind Thursday

For a small organization, our dance card can get really full. Thursday, February 22nd, was one of those busy days for GrowGood – a day that shows our reach and the terrific work that goes on at our farm and in our programs.

First, the culinary class served delicious food students made at an open house for staff to promote openings in the next class, which will begin in a few weeks. Reviews of the food were excellent.

It was such a joy to see Carl Mack, Roy Huerta and Izzy Medero all in uniform, showing off what they learned, and watching them made it no surprise they've all been offered employment. There were biscuits and homemade citrus marmalade, a salad with creamy herbal dressing and roasted vegetableswith a green sauce. (If you’d like any of those recipes, please email Mary.)

"You're going to love that. I made that. Roy, here, made the biscuits, and I made the salad, which is organic from the garden.
The vegetables were made by Carl." (Izzy)

One case manager at the shelter, Kyna Morris, said it's gratifying to see "any client come here, at their lowest point sometimes, and to assist them building themselves back up." Of Izzy, she said, "You can see him shining from the inside."

That afternoon, shelter resident Allan Kesick, who is a member of the Algonquin Nation and the Odawa Tribe from Michigan, gave the farm a blessing and told the staff about his traditions.

He filled the bird-shaped bowl of his pipe with sage, sweetgrass, cedar, and tobacco, and used it to reach to the ground and to the sky at the four points of the compass. Traditionally, a blessing would be given for each round of planting, he said. He also cleansed the staff and guests using a white sage smudge stick.

And that’s not all. It was the 30th birthday of our farmhand Velva Flemings! Finally, Jayne Torres, program cultivator, and Mary MacVean, executive director, gave a tour to a group of guests from the  Department of Public Health. We’re all hoping for future collaboration.