Bull City Cool is a success – everyone thinks so… our grantors, our tenants, our neighbors. But how did it become a success? To borrow words from Sumner Redstone:
Success is not built on success. It’s built on failure. It’s built on frustration. Sometimes it’s built on catastrophe.
Learning From Limits is a new report about success and failure at our very own food hub. It chronicles how Reinvestment Partners – founder of Bull City Cool – approached the food hub project, both as a nonprofit community developer and as an entrepreneur. Written by project consultant Community Food Lab, the report shares lessons learned the hard way.
Why put your failures on paper? Because sharing them is how others will learn. Learning From Limits is written for anyone actively building the local food system, and anyone taking risks and pushing the limits of innovation. It’s for anyone who believes that:
Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.
– Henry Ford
Jeffrey R. Piper US Army, disabled/retired says
We are developing a full service mobile Grocery Store sourcing locally,(Indy) to provide Healthy Food Access where needed. We have a city wide Food Desert due to the closings of many of our grocery stores. Some citizens are 3-6 miles from good food. The Cool Bus is a 40′ long Allison powered transformed school bus.
Our plan is to target those funds (SNAP) already in place to feed our community, funds that are often being used for junk foods at the convenience store. Kids, Elderly and Disabled are the major recipients.
As we launch the Cool Bus we are employing two Military Veterans coming out of homelessness. In collaboration with our Mayors office we are also creating Urban Farms on vacant city properties using the at risk Veteran population. Dirt Therapy is great for PTS, TBI, Anxiety and many other emotional and physical issues.
Small Farm Startup and Sustainability curriculum is being developed as this is also a Small Business op. for our Veterans who desire to provide for family without working for an employer, often an issue. I could go on. We are Veteran Industries and Arts Inc. a 501c3 providing opportunities to Veterans.
A.D. Cazzolla says
Thanks for sharing your story, Jeffrey! Food deserts are everywhere; we’re glad you’re tackling the issue in your area.