Urban Youth Harvest

A Good Idea

Description

PUEBLO (People United for a Better Life in Oakland) partnered with several local non-profit organizations to pioneer an innovative food policy reform initiative, the Urban Youth Harvest, to hire young people to harvest the summer fruit grown.

The Urban Youth Harvest employs young people to harvest the extra produce offered by many homeowners and deliver it to low-income seniors who lack access to healthy produce. In addition, youth attend workshops where they learn about the relationship of food and health and explore the disparities in health as they relate to the political framework of society.

Goal / Mission

The program strives to provide jobs for young people and fresh produce for low-income seniors.

Results / Accomplishments

Following a three week pilot program, The Urban Youth Harvest was greatly expanded with community support, grants, and federal stimulus funds. Thousands of pounds of produce are collected each year. The Urban Youth Harvest was recognized as a culinary crusader by Food and Wine Magazine.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
PUEBLO (People United for a Better Life in Oakland)
Primary Contact
3528 Foothill Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94601
(510) 535-2525
pueblo@peopleunited.org
http://www.peopleunited.org/
Topics
Community / Civic Engagement
Health / Physical Activity
Health / Older Adults
Organization(s)
PUEBLO (People United for a Better Life in Oakland)
Date of implementation
2007
Geographic Type
Urban
Location
Oakland
For more details
http://www.peopleunited.org/uyh/about.php
Target Audience
Teens, Older Adults

Related Promising Practices

  1. National Produce Program
  2. Elder Farmers' Market Nutrition Program - Florida
  3. Market Makeovers/Corner Store Conversions
  4. Play Streets with Strategic Alliance for Health (SaFH)
  5. School Nutrition Policy Initiative
  6. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participation and Health Care Expenditures Among Low-Income Adults

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Related Content for: Urban Youth Harvest

A Good Idea meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program funding source, program implementation steps and outcomes.
  2. The program evaluation is limited to descriptive measure(s) of success/accomplishment (i.e., program participation rates, number of services/education sessions/radio messages provided). Note: oftentimes, the program has been newly implemented and a program evaluation has not yet been conducted. Programs that have not yet been evaluated, but which show promise in improving health or quality of life, are classified as Good Ideas until an evaluation is conducted.