Mission and Vision
SoLA's mission is to advance community health, food justice and economic empowerment by expanding access to fresh, affordable food. Our vision is to create a space that serves as a hub for food preparation, education and collaborations that strengthen neighborhood self-determination. Through collective ownership, strategic partnerships, and culturally responsive programming, SoLA works to build a healthier and more equitable future for South Los Angeles.
Born from a Spark in South LA
SoLA Food Co-op began with a simple, shared frustration: accessing clean, organic, and nutritious food in South Los Angeles shouldn't require a cross-town trek. In 2010, local resident Bahni Turpin moved to the neighborhood and experienced first-hand the realities of living in a designated food desert. Refusing to accept food apartheid as an unchangeable state, she began grassroots research into the cooperative grocery model, drawing inspiration from pioneering co-ops across the country. By late 2011, a small steering committee of six dedicated neighbors convened around a kitchen table with a clear mission: to create a community-owned alternative that puts healthy food, economic sovereignty, and local wellness directly into the hands of the neighborhood.
Built by the Community, for the Community
What started as a small kitchen table conversation quickly grew into a powerful, decade-long movement built on radical hospitality and neighbor-to-neighbor organizing. Formally incorporating in 2014, SoLA began tabling weekly at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Farmers Market, hosting vibrant arts and wellness events, running educational workshops on urban agriculture and holistic health, and hosting pop-up markets. Through pandemic supply shocks, SoLA rose to the occasion, delivering contactless produce bag subscriptions and bulk staples straight out of neighborhood staging hubs. Through every street team canvass, community screening, and mutual-aid food distribution, SoLA has proven that a cooperatively owned grocery store can serve as an engine for community wealth, local jobs, and food justice.
On the Horizon: A Community-Owned Storefront on Crenshaw
Today, backed by a founding base of over 735 member-owners and landmark infrastructure support from America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI), SoLA is executing its most ambitious phase yet. As we work toward opening our permanent brick-and-mortar home in the Crenshaw district of South Los Angeles, we are transforming our operations to support a vibrant, bilingual community marketplace that directly reflects the diversity and culture of South LA. We are currently in the homestretch of our membership sprint, building toward the 1,200 member-owner threshold needed to unlock the financing for a full storefront construction. Every new owner brings us one step closer to opening our doors, securing local food sovereignty, and building a healthier, more resilient South Los Angeles for generations to come.
The Crenshaw Market
To understand why SoLA Food Co-op exists, you have to look at the numbers. South Los Angeles and the Crenshaw Corridor represent one of the most resilient, culturally rich, and commercially underserved markets in Southern California. For decades, corporate grocery chains have ignored the buying power of our neighborhood, forcing local dollars to leak out to surrounding areas. We built SoLA to capture that local wealth and keep it right here.
The Crenshaw & South LA Landscape
1 Million+ Residents, Fewer Than 60 Full-Service Grocers: While Westside neighborhoods average 1 full-service grocery store for every 3,800 residents, South LA has historically had just 1 store for every 17,000+ residents—creating a massive disparity in fresh food access.
$1 Billion+ Food Leakage: Every year, South LA households spend over $1 billion purchasing groceries and food outside the neighborhood because high-quality, organic options aren't available locally.
A Strong, Middle-Income Purchasing Base: The Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw corridor features a median household income exceeding $67,000—with surrounding areas like View Park and Ladera Heights ranging between $97,000 and $149,000. The purchasing power is here; the dedicated storefront has been missing.
45%+ Black & 35%+ Afro-Latino / Latino Community: Crenshaw remains the historic heart of Black cultural and economic life in Los Angeles, alongside a growing Latino population. SoLA’s purchasing and vendor strategy directly reflects this multi-generational, multi-cultural reality.
Why This Matters for Co-op Owners
Corporate supermarkets view Crenshaw through a lens of extraction. They set high prices, offer low-quality produce, and send profits to corporate headquarters. As a community-owned co-op, SoLA operates on a completely different business model:
Local Wealth Retention: Your grocery purchases help recapture a portion of the $1B in leaked neighborhood spending.
Direct Sourcing: We partner directly with regional Black-owned, local, and sustainable farms to supply fresh produce tailored to local preferences.
Community Equity: 100% of excess revenue stays in the neighborhood as patronage dividends and local employment opportunities.
Our Commitment: Open Books, Open Doors
SoLA Food Co-op was founded on the principle of Black self-determination and community wealth building. Because we are accountable to our neighbors—not corporate shareholders or political donors—we operate with complete organizational and financial transparency.
Democratic Governance: No politician, major donor, or board member holds more power than any single resident. Every member-owner holds exactly one equal vote in electing our Board of Directors and voting on major co-op policy decisions.
Open Financial Reporting: We believe trust is earned through transparency. We publish regular financial updates, project budget breakdowns, and equity allocation reports for all active member-owners to review. Our annual member meetings are open forums where full financial audits and development budgets are presented.
Leveraging Relationships Without Compromising Values: To open a full-service, organic grocery store on Crenshaw, we actively engage with city officials, municipal programs, and civic leadership to advocate for South LA’s fair share of public infrastructure funding. However, political advocacy never buys organizational control. 100% of governance rights remain in the hands of our 736 member-owners.
The Board of Directors are here to help guide SoLA towards our store opening and represent you, the owner!
Meet the SoLA Board of Directors
SoLA on CBS
SoLA’s founding team talks to CBS News about the need for a grocery store along Crenshaw Corridor.
How You Can Help Us Break Ground
We don't need outside corporate saviorism to build our storefront because we already have the brilliance, skills, and resources right here in South LA! We are actively building connections with neighbors, professionals, and allies who can help us unlock our physical home on Crenshaw.
Do you or a neighbor know a commercial property owner on Crenshaw Boulevard aligned with community wealth?
Are you an architect, contractor, urban planner, or grocery logistics specialist who wants to lend expertise?
Do you have connections to local Black and regional organic farmers, food producers, or artisan vendors?
Are you a grant writer, legal advisor, or impact investor passionate about food justice and cooperative economics?
Do you lead a local church, neighborhood block club, or community organization that wants to host a member drive or pop-up?