Every season at MAKE brings new growth — not just in the garden, but in the people who help it flourish. Among them are Zahida and Esterlanda, two remarkable trainees whose stories remind us what courage, kindness, and new beginnings truly look like. Zahida, 20, journeyed from Afghanistan chasing her dream of becoming a doctor. Her advice to others stepping into something new: “Be confident, be open to new experiences, and speak to people.” Then there’s 23-year-old Esterlanda

On October 25, we held our second Taste of Community at MAKE Farm. It was a beautiful day with all our program staff, CSA members, donors, and volunteers. Here’s how our USD College Corps volunteer, Giselle, described the day: The farm buzzed with laughter, conversation, and curiosity. Guests toured the fields where everything at MAKE begins, the heart of our CSA boxes, and the home of our growing dreams. Together, we created colorful fence art, weaving fabric into the words

Author: Giselle Ortega On what seemed like just a normal Saturday morning, the MAKE community came together once again for another Volunteer Day. With gloves on and good energy all around, I went around asking a few volunteers why they decided to spend their weekend helping out. Their responses were heartfelt:  “I like being outside, helping, supporting the community, and getting to know people.”  Another one said,  “to gain experience working on a farm” because someday, they

WAIT, framing is already up! Work is picking up fast. Here you can see the entrance into our future classroom. And the second photo below is a view into the future culinary garden next to our outdoor bar! Standing in future garden facing MAKE's very first own classroom If you squint, you can see a beautiful garden full of flowers, herbs and butterflies :)

Getting ready to pour concrete for our building foundation on Monday! This photo is looking from the classroom/office into the kitchen (insulation pad on the ground for our 10x10 walk-in coolor on the left) and then into Dining Room 2. After concrete, the building framing is going up!  The excellent work of our GC - Element Builders - not only survived an atmospheric river storm event this week but thrived. Owner, Chris Grippi, even said the heavy rains helped pack down the s

Our new home sits at 4712 Felton Street and was once the Jackson Electric Company, which fabricated the historic Normal Heights sign hanging over Adams Avenue. The front half of the building - about 70 years old - has great bones and we’ll be housing our dining rooms in it. Our construction activities this month include all the work below ground in the back for new plumbing, grease traps and foundation for our new kitchen and bathrooms.  Joe Jackson's hand and invoice. Our la

After 20 months of planning, design and permitting approvals, MAKE Projects finally began construction on a newly-renovated 2,000 square foot home! Nestled in the welcoming Normal Heights neighborhood off Adams Avenue, MAKE Projects will also finally realize its own dreams of bringing the entire San Diego community together over a common love of food and culture. The new MAKE Cafe includes a 900-square foot commercial kitchen, 48 seat dining room, outdoor bar, large garden pa

Sambusa. A simple tortilla fried in a triangle filled with varieties of fillings. A preparation that takes ages with the hot stove and...

Dear Friends, Reflecting on our 2021 impact, I can't tell you who has grown and transformed more - our trainees starting out with fear in...