As HOPE launches our Healthy Corner Store Project, we are thinking deeply with our partners about how to transform the look and feel of corner stores.Those of us who regularly visit our local corner stores in East and West Oakland are bombarded by alcohol, tobacco, fast food, and sugar sweetened beverage advertisements even before entering the actual store.Commonly, these ads cover stores' exteriors, and upon stepping inside the store, the advertised products dominate the shelf space. 

According to the Federal Trade Commission, the food and beverage industry spends approximately $2 billion per year and more than $5 million every day marketing unhealthy food to children; other studies show these advertisements reach a disproportionate number of children and youth of color. HOPE recognizes that a huge community lift is crucial to counter the force of industry in targeting our communities.

As a first step, HOPE partnered with Oakland Food Policy Council; Rooted In Community, a national youth food justice network; and Favianna Rodriguez, a local artist and cultural organizer, to host "Rebrand the Hood," an interactive workshop to develop a community-generated brand for our Healthy Corner Store Project.Gerardo Marin from Rooted in Community and Favianna Rodriguez facilitated entertaining exercises, theater, group creative process, and discussion that allowed participants to tap into their indigenous creativity and wisdom to create images and messages that reflect community values and promote health and justice.

Over the next several weeks, Favianna Rodriguez will incorporate these images and messages into the creation of grassroots art (signage, store posters and fliers, menues, shelf-talkers, etc.) for our healthy corner store campaign that will shape the entire store experience for neighborhood residents. Look out for the Healthy Corner Store Project's new brand to be featured at a store near you! 

What if you could give $25 to bring healthier food to your neighborhood store, would it be worth it? What if you were paid back not only with fresh veggies and delicious sandwiches, but you got your money back as well?

HOPE's Healthy Corner Store Project has been working hard to connect small store owners to community groups and the resources they need to sell healthier foods like fresh produce, sandwiches, and smoothies. One important piece in making this possible is helping stores find ways to access the money they need to change their store and install new equipment from produce cases to panini presses. For many of these small business owners, it's not always easy or affordable to get a traditional bank loan. To address this challenge, HOPE has been developing relationships with several socially minded funders and lenders. One promising and innovative partnership is with KivaZip, which allows small business owners to crowdfund up to $5,000 at a time. Unlike other crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter or Indiegogo, the money raised through KivaZip is a loan that owners repay over 2 years at 0% interest. HOPE Collaborative serves as a KivaZip Trustee, an organization or individual that endorses and supports small business people seeking to raise money through KivaZip. Taking a loan can be a business building strategy by building a store owners credit history so they are better able to access capital in the future. Crowdfunding the loan helps spread the word about the exciting changes the store owner will be making to improve their store.

Sunbeam Market on 14^th and Adeline St in West Oakland will be the first store in HOPE's Healthy Corner Store Project to fundraise through KivaZip. Muaamar "Ali" Almualm, the owner of Sunbeam, is excited to bring fresh produce and a deli/meat counter into his store. West Oakland is full of liquor stores but still doesn't have a full service supermarket. He firmly believes, "People need a place close by to come and shop and get something healthy to eat." Once approved by KivaZip, Muaamar will have a private fundraising period of 15 days to get 15 people to lend money to the project. This is KivaZip's way of making sure that each business person has a strong network of support for their project. As soon as he gets 15 people to support, the loan will go public and he will have 45 days to raise the rest of the $5,000. While he has saved up enough for much of the improvements including a deli case, the additional $5,000 will help him install a produce case, a commercial blender for fresh smoothies, and make brighten up the store to highlight the new healthy additions.

The folks organizing taste tests and "Rethinking School Lunch" include OUSD Nutrition Services, Center for Ecoliteracy, FoodCorps, and HOPE Collaborative & East Oakland Building Healthy Communities.   

Find the original article here and a short clip on the taste testing on ONews, a website that was started a couple of years ago by a group of high school students (from Life Academy, Skyline, Castlemont and Oakland International) along with their mentor/instructors from Pandora. ONews shines a light on the students - grades K though 12 - in the Oakland public schools. High school students also produce a newscast, also called ONews, at KDOL, the OUSD TV station.