The Village will be a two-story, mixed use facility dedicated to creating a vibrant, healthy space to connect community members with fresh, local foods and useful wellness practices. It will consist of a local fresh food market place, healthy prepared food vendors, a commercial kitchen for culinary classes, a community gathering space, and of course will still retain the beloved community garden space. The upstairs will be used as a headquarters office space for Project New Village, as well as office space for a mission-aligned business tenant.
We're building The Village - a community food hub in Southeastern San Diego!
Two ways to help us grow...
Visionary Donor: Help Us Build The Village
Corporate, institutional and private donors who would like to contribute to our ambitious vision of building The Village can easily donate to our fundraising initiative. Learn more>
Perennial Member: Monthly Contribution
Become a Perennial Member and donate just a little every month. Perennial Members help fund our day-to-day operations, such as maintenance at the Mt. Hope Community Garden, facilitating events and workshops, and operating our People’s Produce Mobile Farmers Market truck. Learn more>
The Village info book: Justice Through Equity and Transformation
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The case for building The Village in Southeastern San Diego
Southeastern San Diego (SESD) is a region of San Diego that has been designated as a “food desert” by USDA. There is a lack of access to fresh, nutritious foods and fresh food markets throughout this region. Why are there less fresh food markets here as opposed to other parts of San Diego? Economic disparity. As with many community assets that aren’t available in low-income neighborhoods (housing, shopping malls), it costs just as much to build a grocery store in Southeastern San Diego as elsewhere, but the profits are lower, so there is a disincentive for developers to build.
When talking about ‘food desert’ designations, it’s important to understand the term “food scarce regions” doesn’t necessarily mean starvation due to lack of food in an area. There may be a lack of fresh, nutritious foods, but typically there is an over-abundance of unhealthy, ultra-processed foods found at fast food chain restaurants and liquor stores. When many low-income families don’t own a vehicle and/or find themselves working multiple jobs while raising small children, these all-too-convenient unhealthy food options tend to be the primary source of meals during the week.
This lack of healthy food access contributes to the health disparities being experienced in SESD region. With residents living in the area being 56% are Hispanic/Latino; 16% Asian; 13% Black; (11% White; 2% multiracial; and 1% other (US Census), these disparities disproportionately impact BIPOC communities. Using the proportions of populations who are experiencing obesity, diabetes, and self-reporting of bad health as health indicators, we see there is opportunity for increased health food access to improve these metrics under the assumption that food contributes to these health issues, especially when less healthy food options are the primary source of food in an area.
How The Village will help transform the health and wellness landscape in SESD
We’re using a food sovereignty approach to increase access to healthy foods while increasing community connections surrounding the importance of health and wellness practices.
Complex problems like Food Insecurity and Low Food Access require innovative solutions that change system dynamics and the flow of capital within a community. The Village community food hub will create a new 12,400 square foot retail site (a social enterprise grocery store) that will change the way that residents source their food while also creating new economic opportunities for neighborhood growers, local independent farmers, wild-capture fisheries, and local food-related businesses that will result in additional local, fresh produce, breads, meats, and other food items available for sale at fair prices
By elevating food sovereignty and integrating health and wealth building strategies, this project will build much-needed community assets and power. The Village community food hub will feature:
Community Market
Featuring fresh local produce and healthy prepackaged food items from local growers and businesses.
Commercial Kitchen
A large commercial kitchen for food vendors as well as community members – ideal for culinary and health education classes.
Food Vendor Stalls
Six food vendor stalls will surround the community market for local food vendors preparing healthy meals from diverse cultures.
Covered Dining Patio
Large outdoor space for community dining and gathering.
Community Garden
Garden space where community members can grow and harvest food.
2nd Floor Tenant
Ideal office space for a mission-aligned business.
Our team of supporters
Thanks to Alliance Healthcare Foundation, we were recently awarded their $1M i2 challenge grant supporting innovation for our concept of creating The Village as an equitable food-oriented development in Southeastern San Diego. This, along with the continued support we’ve received from our community members, numerous local food growing businesses and food justice organizations, the City of San Diego, and numerous corporate sponsors and foundations, has allowed us to build a formidable support team for this project – but we need your help to secure it’s success. We are also actively seeking corporate sponsors for our upcoming events that promote health and wellness in Southeastern San Diego – if you would like to partner with Project New Village at an event, please click the button below for more information.
Our food justice journey
We a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that uses urban agriculture and farmers markets to improve access to fresh, locally-sourced food throughout greater Southeastern San Diego. Our mission is to serve as a catalyst for resident-led, community-rooted experiences that BUILD stronger neighborhoods; IMPROVE the neighborhood food supply chain; STIMULATE collective investment in better health; and MAXIMIZE the impact of investment to address social inequities.
Currently, we own and operate the Mt. Hope Community Garden – a communal space that not only grows food, but hosts a variety of community events and garden trainings and workshops to promote food growing and healthy practices in our communities. We also run the People’s Produce mobile farmers market truck, which now has numerous market sites throughout greater Southeastern San Diego, delivering fresh locally grown produce to neighborhoods that need it the most.
Become a Project New Village Perennial Member
Help bring health and equity to the neighborhoods of greater Southeastern San Diego with a monthly recurring donation.
Perennial Members help ensure fresh local produce reaches food insecure communities in greater Southeastern San Diego.
By using urban agriculture as a tool of empowerment, Project New Village is committed to improving the health and well-being of the residents of Southeastern San Diego. By giving each month to our organization, you’re taking action in creating a just food system that builds equity in our communities. Your contribution helps fund our work in creating a community connection around food by supporting:
Our People’s Produce mobile farmers market, bringing fresh local produce to neighborhoods in greater SESD
Our commitment to supporting local farms and food growers
Job creation that invests in local residents
Workshops and events that create community awareness around health and wellness
Our Neighborhood Growers Collective in San Diego, that encourages and supports local residents to grow food and potentially contribute to the local food system
Food growing and maintenance at the beloved Mt. Hope Community Garden