Mangrove Community Wealth

Year 1 (y1) started with the last milestone in the redevelopment of the previous flatbush caton market, kicking off with the grand opening of flatbush central x Mangrove fc. Our aim for y1 was to more thoroughly discover Community needs and illustrate the possibilities of what flatbush central and Mangrove fc could be. We canvased the neighborhood and held conversations with local business owners, our legacy vendors, young people, and institutions. The themes we heard most often centered around mental health and wellbeing, food and cultural preservation, design and media production, fashion and clothing production, and support for growing and formalizing businesses. Continuing our conversations with local partners, we designed a series of pilot programs investigating pathways to Community ownership and Wealth generation. We defined Wealth not only in capital gains but also through cultural and personal development and the generative power of joy. Initial pilots, which you'll read about in this report, included the Mangrove x parsons fellowship program, Mangrove x fc cooking sessions, food for thought, aoht school brunch, aoht dinner series, a green industrial design jam, Mangrove Community business academy, Mangrove food guild, Mangrove civics residency, and our how-to series a lotta people don't know that. Each event investigated a different element of Mangrove fc's mission and provided platforms to share knowledge. Through participation with people from all walks of life, we learned about what works in the space and what kind of programming flatbush residents want. Y1 was our year of yes. We gave an enthusiastic yes to a range of mission-driven organizations in need of space for their programs. For instance, the restaurant opportunity center (roc) utilized our facilities to run its colors hospitality opportunities for workers (chow) institute program, which provides valuable restaurant workforce training to early-stage and mid-level restaurant workers. In another example, we hosted an introductory sewing class led by thelma reid, one of our legacy vendors. Participants gathered weekly to learn new skills and create projects based on their interests. These trials offered valuable insight on Community needs and interests, helping direct our plans for future programming.our primary objective this year was to establish and foster a Community culture for the space. We aimed to create a secure and welcoming environment that anyone in the neighborhood can utilize as their own. In pursuit of an inclusive and open atmosphere, we organized meals, events, and activities such as potlucks and game nights. We actively sought feedback from participants, Mangrove members, fc shoppers, and neighbors. We cultivated an open-door policy for meetings and conversations with the Mangrove team. We developed systems to manage our workflows and impact. These systems included tech management tools as well as surveys, consultations, and interviews to ensure the creation of reflective, impactful programming and services. They also included partnerships with nyc department of health and mental hygiene, nys department of agriculture and markets, and nyc department of education to streamline business licensing and support.during y1, we also explored various ways to generate revenue, including everything from securing traditional grants to selling products and services. One successful long-term funding project is our event series, which generates revenue for both Mangrove fc and participating chefs. Similarly, our school brunch program provides industry-specific job training for youth while also offering a testing ground for our caf and bar program, even demonstrating potential to expand into a profitable restaurant operation. The brunch program also resulted in an unexpected product - the Mangrove lamb bacon, which is cured and smoked in-house. The lamb belly is sourced and sold through a partnership with prince abou's butchery.