The San Diego Food Justice Project, made up of the City Heights Community Development Corporation (CHCDC), the REC Innovation Lab at San Diego Miramar College, the Cook Alliance , the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, and Business For Good will give San Diegans small business training and grants through the G.E.T. Cooking Program (Grant for Entrepreneurship Training and Home Cooking Program).
The San Diego Food Justice Project is a new collaboration whose purpose is to serve the emerging needs of some of our most vulnerable entrepreneurs in the county: microenterprise home kitchen operations (MEHKOs), sidewalk vendors, pop-ups, caterers, and immigrant-owned restaurants.
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in January 2022 to authorize a two-year Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) program, legalizing the sale of home cooked food throughout the county. The G.E.T. Cooking entrepreneurial training will provide individuals facing significant barriers to employment, including immigrants and limited English proficient individuals, with an understanding of how to start, build, and/or maintain a small food business in San Diego County – with a particular emphasis of guiding participants on how to successfully apply for the new MEHKO and sidewalk vending permits.
The majority of the $1,000,000 grant will be allocated to San Diegans who already own small home-based food service businesses and those who want to start a home-based kitchen and other businesses through micro-grants. San Diego Food Justice Project, through the CHCDC, will give out $750,000 in grants. There will be a forthcoming application from the CHCDC for those interested in applying. In the meantime, interested parties can complete the online G.E.T. Cooking Program Interest Form (https://forms.gle/NFqVXEeWK4W1XEUC8).
SAN DIEGO FOOD JUSTICE PROJECT PARTNERS
City Heights Community Development Corporation (CHCDC) works to enhance the quality of life in City Heights by working with the community to create and sustain quality affordable housing, livable neighborhoods, and foster economic self-sufficiency.
The Regional Entrepreneurship Center (REC) Innovation Lab at San Diego Miramar College is a startup incubator focused on helping students launch scalable, high-growth startups that use technology to solve problems.
The COOK Alliance is the nonprofit organization legalizing the sale of home cooked meals. Their landmark policies legitimize the existing informal food economy with permits for small home restaurants known as: Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKOS).
The Jacobs Center partners with residents, local leaders and organizations, and regional and national investors to revitalize Southeastern San Diego, a culturally-diverse yet underserved area that is prime for investment and transformation. Their commitment to the residents is to create a vibrant Diamond District through three areas of focus: Physical Redevelopment, Education to Careers and Local Economy by creating networks that support early-stage entrepreneurs and accelerate existing neighborhood businesses.
Business For Good, a membership based organization, is connecting San Diego’s business community to educate and advocate for equitable, inclusive, and sustainable policies. The organization comes together as a group to ensure community voices are heard when local officials are creating policy.
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