February 2010

Dear Market Supporter:

As you know, for over twenty years East Palo Alto endured a landscape without a supermarket. In 2007, former Mayor Ruben Abrica and the EPA Health Roundtable asked Collective Roots to help fill this gap. Over the next year, we worked with residents, volunteers and partners to start, sponsor and support the EPA Community Farmers’ Market, which for the past two seasons has succeeded in supplying farm-fresh fruits and vegetables when they previously were not easily available.

When the current economic recession began, Collective Roots and the Market stepped up its efforts to provide a safety-net and meet the needs of the East Palo Alto community. We began accepting EBT/food stamps and WIC benefits. Through our innovative EPA Fresh Checks program, we distributed over $22,000 in fresh fruits and vegetables to families in need. Since the Market’s first season, in fact, over $35,000 in fresh produce has been donated to local families, and customers have made more than 14,000 visits over 58 Market days.