Global food exploration for South LA Kids

Income inequality

South LA

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

When I returned to LA after COVID, I heard the term "food justice." Prior to teaching English abroad for 15 years, I had heard "food desert" to describe low income neighborhoods that had many liquor stores but few healthy food options. With food justice, community members actively discussed the food problem's root -- income inequality.
Recently, I applied to sell "Creole Fresh spring rolls" at a Juneteenth festival in South LA/Compton. I was told by an organizer that I didn't know the people of this area and they wouldn't buy my food. He said the festival needed "cheap food" of $10 meals that included a drink. I asked what were $10 meals; he said, tacos, burritos, burgers. In his words I heard the myth of poor people only deserving poor quality food. Compton and South LA residents are not even given the healthier food option at a Juneteenth celebration, where freedom is celebrated. "Health is wealth." Lack of wealth means lack of healthier food options.

Expanding my healthy food business can significantly improve kids' lives in a lower income community in the following ways:
1. Increases Access to Healthy, Affordable Food. The cart provides a mobile, low-cost source of fresh vegetables, herbs, and plant-based proteins, helping families make healthier choices without needing to travel far or pay high prices.
2.Offers an Appealing Alternative to Fast Food. People eat with their eyes, so the beauty of the rolls is critical. Yet it must remain affordable.
3. Supports Nutrition Education Through Experience. Hands-on learning builds lifelong healthy habits in a way that’s playful and positive.
4. Empowers Parents as "Health Heroes." The cart and market locations make it easier for parents to model and encourage healthy eating by providing convenient, family-friendly meal options. The “Spring Roll Kits” help families cook together at home, reinforcing healthy routines. Achieving this is possible while be mindful of a working class income.
5. Provides Culturally Enriching Experiences with a budget-friendly approach. Kids can travel the rainbow to Southeast Asia.
6. Promotes Local Economic Development. Edible Kids Art reinvests in the local economy and creates small-scale job opportunities. It also demonstrates a replicable model of entrepreneurship rooted in purpose and place.
7. Inspires Healthy Futures Through Storytelling and Art. It shows kids with lower income that they deserve joy, beauty, and wellness, regardless of money.

Rolling Rainbows hands-on cooking experience offers kids a pathway to better engaging in our diverse communities of LA County. Not only will children be encouraged to eat more healthily, they will be shown a clear entry point into the Southeast Asian communities of LA County. As we all know, food is the biggest method for culture exploration of different cultures. By presenting families in South LA, a historically Afro American and Latino heritage community, Asian cuisine and teas, we welcome them to learn about Thai Town of Hollywood, the Cambodian area of Long Beach, and Vietnamese hub of San Gabriel Valley. Secondly, as we source edible flowers from local growers of LA County, children see first hand it is possible to grow our own food in urban areas, be active participants in food creation and value more green spaces in the city. Lastly, art is centered to Edible Kids Art, so we present art in different forms from decorative rolls to coloring food bags to kids drawing displays.