People's Grocery

People's Grocery (Oakland CA)

People's Grocery was founded in 2002 by three residents who were disturbed by the lack of access to healthy food and its impacts on local health and quality of life in West Oakland. In an effort to promote healthy local foods and urban agriculture, the founders created People's Grocery as a model that integrates education, sustainable agriculture and the development of local food businesses. In addition to contributing to community health and awareness, the organization aimed to create training and employment opportunities for youth and adults in the community, and to support a new vision for economic development based on principles of sustainability, health and self-reliance.

Fundamentally, People's Grocery is a health and wealth organization--our mission is to improve the health and economy of West Oakland. We are engaging the conversation around wellness, socio-economic status and social determinants of health through a food lens, and ensuring that diet and nutrition play a large part in the revitalization of communities. Check back soon for our strategic plan and 3 year goals.

Who We Are

Our mission is to build a local food system that improves the health and economy of West Oakland. West Oakland is a community with the highest joblessness and chronic disease rates in the city—its residents also have limited access to healthy and fresh foods. Our work involves increasing local supply of fresh foods; advocating for living-wage business and job opportunities; and developing strong relationships and community leadership.

Our Philosophy

We want to change the way the food system works.

We believe everyone should have access to healthy food, regardless of income. We call this "food justice" - the belief that healthy food is a human right. The food system is failing to provide low-income people with the healthy foods they need to thrive. It is also failing to create good jobs and support local food businesses in urban communities. People’s Grocery works toward creating a food system that prioritizes the needs of the urban poor.

Our Work

People's Grocery has attracted local and national attention in our effort to transform the inner city food environment and address health problems in West Oakland. We pursue unique approaches to community health and food security that contribute new ways of solving our community's needs. Our efforts to build more innovation into our approaches has provided us with first hand knowledge and in-depth understanding of how to provide healthy foods and nutrition education to inner city residents. This is the essence of how People's Grocery lives its mission in the community everyday.