All HPF participants are required to become involved in community service projects facilitated by the HPF agency. Each year, participants select a community project to participate in, including the HPF youth council, tutoring younger children in their programs, custodial and administrative work at the administration or program sites, working in one of HPF’s organic farms, the BVHP Farmers Market, the Hunters Point food pantry, our produce delivery business, and the tree care program, in partnership with Friends of the Urban Forest. Participants receive stipends or paychecks for their participation in many community projects. These community service projects allow youth to earn money for their basic living expenses while providing them with positive experiences of improving their community.
Because many of them have experienced consistently harsh realities, they have learned to thrive in the face of enormous obstacles, as demonstrated in the following accomplishments: Four participants started their own business, “Somethin’ Fresh” delivering fresh, organic fruit to Bayview Hunters Point residents. The story of the girls and their journey through the process of starting a new business was documented on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle on October 23rd, 2006.[1] Ten of our youth were recently awarded a grant of $20,000 to maintain and help other youth start up youth businesses. The award was made by the Department of Children Youth and Family’s Youth Advisory Panel, and the Bayview Safe Haven program has been recognized as one of the best after-school programs in the country by several nationwide youth publications.[2]
The FruitGuys is the industry leader in providing farm-fresh produce to the American workplace.
Founded in 1998 and headquartered in San Francisco, The Fruitguys has pioneered this fast-growing category that provides viable solutions to the ever-challenging workplace health crisis. The company was founded on the premise that bringing healthy brain food to the office can boost productivity, improve wellness and help companies improve their bottom lines.
The FruitGuys provides fresh seasonal fruit from local farms to thousands of American businesses, from small family-run businesses to major Fortune 500 corporations. The FruitGuys has been called upon by some of the most well known businesses in the nation, including Littler Mendelson, Yahoo!, Yamaha, VMWare, Wells Fargo, among thousands of other industry leaders.
HPF’s youth-run fruit delivery business, “Somethin’ Fresh”, has been extremely successful this year with over 100 residential clients and 25 businesses. They, along with the alumni who manage HPF’s Bayview Hunters Point Farmers Market are featured as a “Neighborhood Treasure” in billboards at the train stops along MUNI’s new T-Third Line. Under the management of our alumni coordinators, the BVHP Farmers Market has seen a 30% increase in clients this year. Youth from these businesses and the record label, “The Bread Me Out Family” all designed new marketing materials, filed for business licenses, utilized the Internet for marketing and managing sales, and developed new products. In 2009, our youth businesses are expanding to include a juice bar that
sells smoothies, fresh juices, and baked goods This year, over 10 youth attended business classes at the Bayview Business Resource Center in business plans, marketing, finances, and communications.
We also support a small home delivery business in San Francisco’s Bay View-Hunters Point neighborhood run by three young women entrepreneurs. We donate fruit every week to their company, Somethin’ Fresh, and they provide door-to-door service in this area of the city which traditionally has had limited a ccess to high-quality fruit.
Ashley, Tonika and Candice of Somethin’ Fresh
Many homebound seniors and low-income individuals benefit from their affordable service. The group recently had their bio-diesel truck labeled with their new Somethin’ Fresh logo.
http://www.fruitguys.com/the_dispatch/index_1220v2.shtml
[1] Knight, Heather. San Francisco Chronicle. Healthy revolution in Bayview-Hunters Point Saturday, October 28, 2006.
[2] American Youth Policy Forum. The Impact of Afterschool Programs on Personal and Social Skills. www.aypf.org/forumbriefs/fb110906.htm
The Eisenhower Foundation. Challenges Within www.eisenhowerfoundation.org/docs/ChallengesWithin.pdf
Harvard Family Research Project. Review of Out-of-School Time Program Quasi-Experimental and …
www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/resources/snapshot1.html
Afterschool Alliance. Older Youth Need Afterschool Programs…
www.afterschoolalliance.org/issue_briefs/issue_older_youth_20.pdf
Fight Crime. [PDF] America’s After-School Choice: Juvenile Crime or Safe Learning Time
www.fightcrime.org/reports/asTwoPager.pdf
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