On April 20, Asian Pacific Islander Forward Movement came to KYCC’s Kids Town to plant fruit trees, fruit and vegetables with the preschoolers. APIFM and KYCC have been partnering this past year to teach our community the importance of healthy eating, fresh food and active living.

The trees were generously donated from Sylmar High School teacher Steve List. That day, the group planted 10 fruit trees—among them, plum, nectarine and fig trees. The vegetable beds and planters around the schoolyard were replanted with lettuce, bell peppers and strawberries. 

Our preschoolers learned basic gardening skills during this hands-on lesson. They dug, planted and watered their new garden with help from APIFM staff, volunteers and KYCC’s Environmental Services staff.

“This project is just the beginning,” says Myung Jin Rhee, Assistant Director of Kids Town. “We pulled old plants to plant strawberries and plum trees and lettuce. This will contribute to our preschool garden education program. I’m looking forward to this at Kids Town, and our other sites such as Wilton Center and Menlo Family Center.”

APFM also helped start pop-up markets at KYCC’s Menlo Family Apartments in Koreatown. Locals chose fresh produce from local farmers Roots Food Hub, a food justice project of API Forward Movement. They were able to choose from fresh baby bok choy, cucumbers, carrots, grape tomatoes, nectarines and peaches. APIFM subsidized produce costs by 50 percent to help make these locally grown produce affordable. All the fruits and vegetables were sold out!