Capital Region Cares Capital Region Cares 2018-2019 | Page 67

Alchemist cdc
CDC
A catalyst for change
F
ounded in 2004, Alchemist Community
Development Corporation (CDC) is
dedicated to supporting Sacramento
area residents in their efforts to create
vibrant, equitable, healthy, and diverse
communities.
Alchemist offers “Connecting Families
to Farmers,” their CalFresh processing
and Market Match incentive program at
farmers’ markets; economic development
projects, such as “Alchemy Kitchen,” a
shared-use commercial kitchen and food
business incubator; “Building Healthy
Community Retail” through partnerships
with small-scale grocery stores and
ethnic markets; and “Building Blocks,”
re-imagining shared neighborhood spaces
though community-inspired gardens,
neighborhood cleanup events, and
beautification projects.
“Our programs serve low-income
and historically disenfranchised
populations who have often been
geographically segregated and had to face
institutionalized hurdles that negatively
affect their economic stability, health, and
wellbeing,” says Tiffany Rosso, Executive
Director. “Demand and need for our
services has steadily grown each year,
presenting challenges as we seek to scale
up programs and grow our organization’s
capacity.”
Alchemist is working toward
completion of their Alchemy Kitchen
and has broken ground for the Pansy
Community Garden Park, an exciting new
community space in Sacramento’s Oak
Park neighborhood. “We look forward
to successfully operating our Alchemy
Kitchen facility and microenterprise
training academy, as well as revitalizing
and activating public community spaces,”
says Rosso.
Alchemist’s programs support and
educate residents as a way to strengthen
entire communities, with the belief that
community health is strengthened by
equitable access to community assets
and that all residents should contribute to,
and benefit from, economic and physical
ALCHEMISTCDC.ORG
"The Alchemist‘s new incubator
program is an excellent example of
an organization providing opportu-
nities for local startups to flourish
and for the community to gain ac-
cess to healthy foods, and culturally
relevant goods and services."
— Erik Langeland, Commercial
Bank Region Manager, JP Morgan
Chase & Co.
development and resources in their
neighborhoods.
“We depend on support from generous
donors and corporate sponsors,” says
Rosso. “We currently need funding to
support capacity building as we scale
programs to increase community impact.
We also invite corporate sponsors to
sponsor our CalFresh work at farmers’
markets, which will allow us to sustain vital
services that reach residents across Yolo,
Placer and Sacramento counties.”
profile generously sponsored by
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