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Hundreds of South L.A. and Inglewood residents will soon have the opportunity to add a little bit of green to their front or backyards.
The Social Justice Learning Institute (SJLI), Tree People, Waste Management and the Inglewood Unified School District are partnering up for the second annual 100 Seeds of Change event, where 1,000 fruit trees will be donated to community members on Jan. 28.
The reason behind this community project was the high rate of food related diseases and the poor food options in local neighborhoods, said Derek Steel, civic engagement programs director at SJLI.
“As an organization we noticed the city in Inglewood and South L.A. were living in a food desert and we're using this event in our community to start a healthy initiative,” said Dorienne Brown with SJLI.
Homeowners, schools and tenants will be able to choose from an array of fruit trees including apple, plum, orange and more.
The trees were provided in part by Papermax, Dave Wilson Nursery Southern California Edison and Kaiser Permanente. Other trees were purchased by Tree People.
“There is a definite need in Inglewood (for fruit trees) as it’s a food desert,” said Julie Prejean, senior manager of forestry at Tree People.
Prejean said the event will also showcase what kind of help the community can receive from the organizations. The SJLI will be advising attendees how to cook healthy meals and how to incorporate healthy options in their diet. Composting training provided by Waste Management will also take place on site.
Community members will be given tips and training to plant and take care of their new fruit trees.
To receive a fruit tree, residents must visit the SJLI website, fill out the application and show up at Morningside High school at 10500 Yukon Ave. Inglewood, CA 90303 at the chosen time.
