A partnership between the International Rescue Committee (IRC), St. Luke's North Park, and the North Park Community
A sustainable urban farm run by City Heights high school students. A commercial kitchen training refugee women. And a flexible outdoor cafe and cultural arts space that brings the food they grow and prepare for you to enjoy!
Abundant Harvest
IRC’s Youth FarmWorks is a paid internship program for City Heights students to learn how to plant, grow, harvest, and sell vegetables. You don’t have to wait to support this project and can buy their produce at the North Park Farmer’s Market on Thursday afternoons or in front of the farm on Saturday mornings!
Culinary Dreams
The North Park Community Kitchen will house IRC’s Project CHOP, a paid, hands-on work readiness for low-literacy refugee women to gain English communication skills and formal work experience. There are extremely few training opportunities like it in all of San Diego County. They're already up and running in City Heights and will move in once St. Luke's completes fundraising for its commercial kitchen upgrade -- help us raise the final necessary funds by clicking here! And consider having your business lunch catered or a party platter from Project CHOP sometime soon.
Space for All
Pop on 30th, located next to the farm, is a flexible “pop-up” cafe and cultural arts space that brings the produce of the farm, the products of the kitchen, and the people of North Park together. Starting with some inaugural events this spring, Pop on 30th will serve hand-crafted beverages and foods with fresh, ethnic flavors reflecting the abundant diversity of San Diego’s refugee and immigrant communities. The site will house rotating visual arts displays (sculptures, murals, woven arts) and musical performances representing the many cultures in nearby City Heights.
As a social enterprise, Pop on 30th will train, employ and support Project CHOP and Youth FarmWorks participants to operate the café and further improve their English and communication skills necessary for self-sufficiency and success in the U.S.
We are in the fundraising and planning stages of this ambitious project and welcome your support and ideas in helping to make this a reality! Please fill out the form below so we can stay in touch with you as these dreams develop. We'd also love to sit down with you and hear your ideas -- be in touch with Colin at [email protected].