Keep The Market Running!
Donation protected
For over a year, the Altadena Farmers' Market has been operating in a no-contact, pickup and delivery capacity, per LA County guidelines. We've been running the market in this manner for many reasons:
Because we are in an LA County park, and parks are not yet open to congregations larger than 10 people, a walk-through market in the park isn't feasible.
Due to the pandemic, many customers feel more comfortable shopping online (due to many COVID risks factors) but still want to support local producers and the Market.
Because many children have still not returned to in-person school, parents are still at home. Providing a delivery or quick pickup option of local produce relieves some of the time and pressure of in-person shopping.
Despite the Market's success, there's simply not enough revenue coming in to fund the additional costs of operating the market, and we don't want to close the Market. This is why we're asking for help.
We don't know yet when the parks will reopen. However, once we are allowed to run an in-person market, we understand that many customers will still want and need this no-contact pickup/delivery option. This means that we will need to run a hybrid market.
Operating the market in this capacity has been exponentially more expensive than operating a regular market. We've passed some of those costs to our vendors. However, passing all the costs to them would make it cost-prohibitive for them to participate. Thankfully, we've received many donations from our customers, a small PPP loan last year ($2500) and a grant of $4000 from the Los Angeles Urban League.
Unfortunately, we've also had to take out loans to keep the market going and donations have slowed. We don't qualify for current grants or the new PPP loans, because our farmers DID sell more last year than they did in 2019. Being that our exemption letter has not yet been processed, grants available to 501(c)(3) corporations are not available to us, either.
Fortunately, because our nonprofit corporation has been registered, once our exemption is approved all donations made since 2/6/2021 will be tax-deductible for donors.
Where the money goes:
Packaging - boxes, bags, ice packs, pens, tape (recycling has reduced these costs by about 50% but the cost is still over $500 monthly)
Set-up supplies - tents, tables, etc. (being used weekly, they last about six months)
PPE supplies - fortunately, many of these supplies have been donated, but gloves, cleaning and sanitizing supplies are purchased monthly and are very expensive.
Volunteer support - we offer lunch and produce to our volunteers. The market could not operate without them, so it's important that we treat them well. Many of our volunteers have been with us since the pandemic began. Fortunately, most of the produce they receive is donated from our farmers (part of their contribution to keeping the market running) but we still spend about $300 per week on lunch, supplemental produce and PPE supplies.
Payroll - in addition to volunteers, we have five total paid staff members (four market staff and a market manager) who all receive a living wage. Due to the need to process orders Sunday through Tuesday and sort and process orders at the Market on Wednesdays, payroll has tripled since 2019, including payroll taxes, unemployment taxes, etc.
Any contribution you make is greatly appreciated and will keep this resource in the Altadena/Greater SGV community. Thank you!
Because we are in an LA County park, and parks are not yet open to congregations larger than 10 people, a walk-through market in the park isn't feasible.
Due to the pandemic, many customers feel more comfortable shopping online (due to many COVID risks factors) but still want to support local producers and the Market.
Because many children have still not returned to in-person school, parents are still at home. Providing a delivery or quick pickup option of local produce relieves some of the time and pressure of in-person shopping.
Despite the Market's success, there's simply not enough revenue coming in to fund the additional costs of operating the market, and we don't want to close the Market. This is why we're asking for help.
We don't know yet when the parks will reopen. However, once we are allowed to run an in-person market, we understand that many customers will still want and need this no-contact pickup/delivery option. This means that we will need to run a hybrid market.
Operating the market in this capacity has been exponentially more expensive than operating a regular market. We've passed some of those costs to our vendors. However, passing all the costs to them would make it cost-prohibitive for them to participate. Thankfully, we've received many donations from our customers, a small PPP loan last year ($2500) and a grant of $4000 from the Los Angeles Urban League.
Unfortunately, we've also had to take out loans to keep the market going and donations have slowed. We don't qualify for current grants or the new PPP loans, because our farmers DID sell more last year than they did in 2019. Being that our exemption letter has not yet been processed, grants available to 501(c)(3) corporations are not available to us, either.
Fortunately, because our nonprofit corporation has been registered, once our exemption is approved all donations made since 2/6/2021 will be tax-deductible for donors.
Where the money goes:
Packaging - boxes, bags, ice packs, pens, tape (recycling has reduced these costs by about 50% but the cost is still over $500 monthly)
Set-up supplies - tents, tables, etc. (being used weekly, they last about six months)
PPE supplies - fortunately, many of these supplies have been donated, but gloves, cleaning and sanitizing supplies are purchased monthly and are very expensive.
Volunteer support - we offer lunch and produce to our volunteers. The market could not operate without them, so it's important that we treat them well. Many of our volunteers have been with us since the pandemic began. Fortunately, most of the produce they receive is donated from our farmers (part of their contribution to keeping the market running) but we still spend about $300 per week on lunch, supplemental produce and PPE supplies.
Payroll - in addition to volunteers, we have five total paid staff members (four market staff and a market manager) who all receive a living wage. Due to the need to process orders Sunday through Tuesday and sort and process orders at the Market on Wednesdays, payroll has tripled since 2019, including payroll taxes, unemployment taxes, etc.
Any contribution you make is greatly appreciated and will keep this resource in the Altadena/Greater SGV community. Thank you!
Co-organizers (3)
Stacey Whitney
Organizer
Altadena, CA
Loren Phaen
Co-organizer
Rafaela Gass
Co-organizer