Fresh produce giveaway held at Rancho Dominguez farm on Mother's Day
A unique Mother's Day giveaway lifted spirits on Sunday in Rancho Dominguez, where a church group provided those special someones with much-needed appreciation.
RANCHO DOMINGUEZ, Calif. (KABC) -- A unique Mother's Day giveaway lifted spirits on Sunday in Rancho Dominguez, where a church group provided those special someones with much-needed appreciation.
The event took place on a half-acre farm that was previously an unused softball field.
The giveaway also included a mariachi singer serenading guests and donated bouquets.
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Alma Backyard Farms handed out free bags of fresh produce, something they've done since the shelter-in-place took effect in late March.
The urban farm is tucked away behind Saint Albert the Great Catholic Church in Compton and is sponsored by Catholic Relief Services, Catholic charities and Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
The farmers have a unique background as they were previously incarcerated and received a second chance at the farm.
"Even though we do it every two weeks, today is something special because it's this moment of reconnecting and re-entry," said Erika Cuellar, Alma Backyard Farms operations director and co-founder. "So there's these parallels between the folks we work with who are re-entering from incarceration and all of us during this pandemic re-entering slowly into society."
Two hundred bags of organic produce - which included cucumbers, bananas and pears, along with soup - were handed out.
Alma Backyard Farms is sustained by donations, and only has three full-time employees. The rest of the workers consist of part-time farmers who are employed elsewhere.
