Food Trap Project (F.T.P)

Mykela Jackson aka ‘Keiko’ is an artist, herbalist, educator and chef specializing in Dr. Sebi’s African Bio Mineral Balance. She transitioned to the Alkaline Plant-Based diet in 2018 which sparked the beginning of her soul food pop-ups in 2019 across North Minneapolis. Keiko’s food stole hearts and she was later employed as the Head Chef at Trio Plant-based curating their at the time, new vegan menu. As her passion for holistic education and food sustainability grew, her pop-up module turned into a movement to create affordable and accessible health food systems within majority Black and Indigenous communities.

Our mission at Keikosx is to Inform, Educate and Empower the People to take on the African Bio Mineral Balance by creating affordable and accessible health food systems with our Food Trap Project (F.T.P). Currently we offer a variety of products, services and education that teach individuals how to nourish and heal their bodies with alkaline plants.

Understandably, we know that not everyone can afford to make the switch but think it is a basic human right to have access to whole foods, education and natural medicine. The Food Trap Project connects with resource plugs and redistributes plant-based essentials to those in need primarily within majority-Black neighborhoods. It is a collective of businesses, organizations, volunteers and community members creating space for health & wellness within low-income communities.

There is a desperate need, now more than ever, to combat the capitalistic food system and its consequences— food apartheid, Black land loss, diet-related illness, race-based wealth inequities and environmental degradation to name a few —while driving real solutions into our communities.

By implementing the community bodega module we not only solve food insecurity and food waste problems but also provide education and resources which help elevate the collective consciousness by opening dialogue to important conversations surrounding health, community and healing.

What you'll find inside the F.T.P bodega are:

The Food Trap Project offers full transparency over donations received. Our finance spreadsheet will be easily available to the public in efforts to create a trusting relationship with the communities we serve. F.T.P is not a non-profit organization but we are fiscally sponsored by Left Lovers LLC. Funds will be used for the start-up and maintenance of the community bodega, resources, donation storage fees, transportation vehicle and maintenance of it.

Expenses:

$10,000 - Transit Vehicle

$3,000 - Community Bodega Shed

$26,000 - $500 spent weekly on resources (1yr)

$2,400 - Kitchen Pantry ($200/mo for 1 yr)

$7,100 - maintenance, upkeep & food drives

$1,500 - GoFundMe Processing fees

We've already secured our location and fridge!! This project is currently set to open April 2024 at Sanctuary Church in North Minneapolis.

In addition to fundraising we will also be applying for grants and donating a percentage of pop-up proceeds to the project as well. 

$10,000 has been secured from the Mn Black Collective Grant which will be put towards the Bodega structure and Transit Vehicle.

We are currently trying to spread the word and get volunteers, donors and sponsors. If you'd like to know more please email us.

Funds will be issued to our fiscal sponsors then dispersed to the F.T.P initiative.

More information about our fiscal sponsor Left Lovers: The Freedge is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting equal access to healthy food by installing community fridges, which serve as platforms for sharing food and ideas at the neighborhood level. Since 2014, we have been actively involved in installing and supporting community fridges both in North America and abroad. We also provide resources and support to potential community fridge users and hosts, including the Freedge Map and the "Freedge Yourself” guide and micro grants.