Harlem’s Own Melba Wilson Dons Chef’s Hat at JPMorgan Chase, Grassroots Grocery Event

JPMorgan Chase, a community banking and financial wellness organization, partnered with Grassroots Grocery, whose roots can be traced to the Mott Haven Fridge Network and established by a former Bronx school teacher, to launch the new initiative aimed at increasing access to healthy food for under-resourced communities and, according to Nicole King, executive director for community banking with JPMorgan, “empowering women to take charge of their financial health.”

The financial resources shared with attendees included financial goal setting, building generational wealth, assessing cash flow, comparing saving methods and emergency planning, according to Nicole King, executive director for community banking with JPMorgan Chase.

The produce was donated by Grassroots Grocery, a community-led, 501(c)3 organization committed to delivering fresh produce to communities in New York City, free of charge.
“The fruits and vegetables are imported from every continent, except Antarctica, by train, plane, boat and truck,” said Dan Zauderer, the founder of Grassroots Grocery.

The bank and the nonprofit continue to collaborate to offer free produce to residents in Harlem – and with good reason. According to City Harvest, one of the leading donated food donation distributors of its class, nearly 1.2 million New York residents face some barrier to accessing fresh, clean food. Anything from not having the means for reliable transportation to not living in close proximity to a food source can make a family vulnerable to food insecurity. Often referred to as “food deserts,” there are hundreds of communities in America – both rural and urban – where families have limited access to affordable and nutritious food.

JP Morgan Chase is committed to philanthropic work within the communities they occupy. This is to promote financial literacy in low-income communities through personalized programming, step-by-step financial planning worksheets, and financial advisors with diverse backgrounds who are trained to meet you wherever you are on your journey to financial freedom.

Melba Wilson, entrepreneur, celebrity chef, restauranteur and Bobby Flay’s successor on Beat Bobby Flay, autographed and distributed a copy of her Cookbook, Melba’s American Comfort. In it, she shares 100 of her best brunch, ‘comfortizer’, entree, fried chicken, sides, desserts and drink recipes. (More information about Wilson and her book can be found on Melba’s website).

During her presentation, she encouraged audience members to try new produce, eat nutrient-dense foods (i.e. salmon, kale, potatoes and berries) and to keep an open mind when shopping in the grocery store.

As attendees left the event, each person was provided with a bagful of free produce, a complementary dish from Wilson’s restaurant and a financial tip from the JPMorgan team: “a goal without a date is just a wish.”