The California Department of Public Health, Network for a Healthy California sent an email last week, welcoming RootDown LA into the Network! We will receive $85,000 in three consecutive years to launch our 'You're Gonna Wanna Eat Your Veggies" campaign. Starting in October, our programming will expand in two ways: 1. Youth Leaders receive stipends to take more of our Healthy Food Tastings out on the road - providing educational experiences that excite (and sometimes flat-out coerce) people to taste, cook, understand the health benefits of, and now even grow their own veggies. "Eating your veggies" is our code phrase for knowing how to affordably and conveniently include fresh foods into our daily diets.

2. Core programming at Jefferson High expands into the broader community through the Ralph Bunche House, situated a half block from the school. We will benefit from finally having a home base, and a space where we can gather with all our neighbors, to share our knowledge about cooking and growing healthy food - inspiring and empowering one another to build healthier food communities.