3SB Garden-to-Culinary Youth Wellness Pilot

Support for foster and systems-impacted youth

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit) LAUSD (select only if you have a district-wide partnership)

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Foster and systems-impacted youth in South LA face high rates of trauma, poverty, and food insecurity, yet have limited access to healing-centered, culturally relevant job training. Many are disconnected from nutritious food, supportive adults, and safe spaces to grow. 3 Spice Bistro addresses this by using food as a tool for healing, mental wellness, and economic opportunity. Our model blends gardening, culinary arts, and trauma-informed mentorship to help youth ages 10–24 build confidence, skills, and community. By reconnecting young people to land, culture, and self, we tackle the root causes of disconnection while promoting health equity, food justice, and long-term resilience.

3 Spice Bistro (3SB) will pilot a 12-week program blending gardening, culinary arts, and trauma-informed mentorship for 20 foster and systems-impacted youth ages 10 to 24. Participants will plant and maintain crops at a community garden site, harvest ingredients, and use them in the 3SB teaching kitchen. There, they’ll prepare meals, sauces, teas, and granola bars while learning nutrition, food safety, entrepreneurship, and storytelling.
Each session integrates mental wellness tools—group check-ins, individual coaching, and mindfulness—led by chefs, wellness educators, and peer mentors. The program centers cultural relevance, food justice, and healing, providing youth with skills and confidence often inaccessible through traditional workforce pathways.
Founded in South LA by Chef Tiffany Swinson, 3SB is a woman- and Black-owned business that transforms food into a tool for empowerment. In partnership with Dream North Foundation (case management), Maple Counseling Center (mental health), and a community garden partner, this pilot builds on 3SB’s existing culinary education and product development work.
The program culminates in a community showcase where participants present their products and share their stories. Outcomes tracked will include wellness indicators, skills gained, and early-stage revenue. With LA2050 support, this pilot will serve as the foundation for a full-scale youth workforce development pathway rooted in culture, healing, and economic opportunity.

If our work is successful, Los Angeles County will have a thriving model for youth wellness and workforce development rooted in food, culture, and community. Foster and systems-impacted youth will gain access to healing-centered spaces where they grow food, cook meals, and build businesses—transforming trauma into purpose. Neighborhoods often defined by disinvestment will become hubs of creativity, entrepreneurship, and health. Youth will feel seen, supported, and equipped to lead, creating ripple effects across families and communities. By scaling this model, LA County will shift from reactive systems to proactive care—where equity, opportunity, and wellness are cultivated from the ground up.