Partnership with UT-Austin

During these unprecedented times of Covid-19, we have been working with strategic partners to meet needs of first responders and the most vulnerable. Our foundation invested in an initiative of The University of Texas at Austin — we donated $250,000 to support the Dell Medical School’s initiative to house and heal people suffering from homelessness during these particularly dangerous times to be on the streets.

In addition, John Paul and Eloise and their team worked with Dell Seton, UT’s Department of Nutritional Sciences and UT Health to prepare, package and deliver hundreds of meals to health care workers. The DeJoria’s personal chef Judd Servidio prepared gourmet meals and John Paul and Eloise helped package and deliver them safely to the front doors of the hospital and clinic.

We are so thankful for the healthcare workers, nonprofits and essential workers keeping our city of Austin and our world as safe as possible right now. As John Paul has said, if it’s not okay, it’s not the end.🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼

Read UT’s Press Release here.

Great Society Podcast

Our executive director, Constance Dykhuizen, hosts a podcast called Great Society. LBJ’s Great Society was based on eliminating poverty and racial injustice with social welfare programs in the 1960s. That name seemed like a perfect jumping off point for a show about founders and leaders of social impact businesses and nonprofits seeking to make a change in the world both locally and globally. Constance talked with Austin-based founders and leaders of social change movements and organizations, many of whom are partners of our foundation. With topics ranging from how they got started to how they are thinking about their legacy, what inspires them and how they raise funds, this podcast is for anyone who has wondered how to practically make a difference in the world or for those that want to know more about worthwhile organizations to get involved in no matter where you are.

You can find Great Society podcast in the iTunes store, on Spotify, Stitcher and streaming online.

1. Amy Bench - filmmaker and director of A Line Birds Cannot See

2. Lila Igram - founder of Connecther and Girls Impact the World Film Festival

3. Alan Graham - co-founder of Mobile Loaves and Fishes

4. Max Elliott - founder and director of Urban Roots

5. Zane and Amal Wilson - of Ubuntu Life

6. Steve Wanta - founder and director of JUST

7. Julie Shannan - former deputy director of Girlstart

8. Brooke Axtell - founder and director of and She is Rising

9. Meg Erskine - founder and director of Multicultural Refugee Coalition

10. Turk and Christy Pipkin — founders of the Nobelity Project

11. Virginia Cumberbatch and Meagan Harding of Rosa Rebellion

10 Years of Grow Appalachia

We recently got back from a trip to celebrate 10 years of partnership with Grow Appalachia. In 2009, John Paul wanted to do something to respond to the financial crisis and prove that America still works, that there were hardworking, entrepreneurial people that needed a hand up and not a hand out. His VP at John Paul Mitchell Systems, Tommy Callahan, told him about the problem of food insecurity in his home region of Appalachia. In true entrepreneurial, can-do fashion, John Paul called some people in Appalachia and got the first food and gardening program of its kind off the ground based out of Berea College in Kentucky.

Grow Appalachia’s mission, as conceived by John Paul, is to help as many Appalachian families grow as much of their own food as possible. With a focus on helping people grow food in their backyards, community centers, churches, residential treatment centers and even jails, Grow Appalachia has bloomed into a force for great change in the region.

Over the last 10 years, Grow Appalachia has:

• Provided assistance and training to more than 5,700 families

• Grown more than 4.4 million pounds of food

• Helped people in 6 states and 44 counties

• Created a self-sustaining high tunnel manufacturing facility that provides income for gardening infrastructure

• Helped install commercial kitchens to provide for the possibility of value added products

• Sponsored a summer feeding program for food insecure kids

There have been countless small businesses, farmers market sellers and other entrepreneurial efforts that have arisen from Grow Appalachia. On our trip, we heard touching stories of families saving and growing seeds that go back 300 years in their families. Conscious choices of parents and even whole families to grow and eat healthier food. Healthcare centers becoming more holistic centers for wellness instead of just reacting to disease or trauma. We met two women wearing “Onions not Opioids” shirts who have one year of sobriety in their lives and find much solace and purpose in gardening in a Grow-Appalachia sponsored garden.

We are proud to continue to partner with Grow Appalachia to sponsor garden grants for organizations and individuals committed to serving and transforming their communities. As John Paul would say, America works. Grow Appalachia works.

Photos by Ariana Jordan

Community Works Entrepreneur Hub

On September 13, we gathered together with our team, friends and family at Mobile Loaves and Fishes for a groundbreaking (okay, actually screen printing) ceremony to celebrate the continuation of entrepreneurship and artistry opportunities for our neighbors struggling with chronic homelessness. MLF Community First! Village is a 51-acre master planned community in East Austin for men and women who have been homeless.

The Community Works Entrepreneur Hub will be an 8,000 square foot facility that will expand upon the existing job training and creative enterprises that MLF already provides. MLF resident artists and entrepreneurs are on track to earn $2 million in dignified income through their car care facility, art studio, wood and blacksmith shop and garden. Through our foundation, John Paul and Eloise donated $1.6 million dollars to help make this building a reality.

There are so many cool things happening at the Village — we got to see the first 3D printed house (there’s more to come!), walk by the Alamo Drafthouse outdoor cinema and enjoy birthday cake made by talented chefs on site. You absolutely have to check it out for yourself.

Sea of Shadows Screening

In partnership with Austin Film Society, we are thrilled to be presenting the documentary Sea of Shadows in our hometown of Austin! Click the photo to the right to watch the trailer of the story of a team of dedicated scientists, high-tech conservationists, investigative journalists and courageous undercover agents as well as the Mexican Navy as they put their lives on the line to save the last remaining vaquitas and bring the vicious international crime syndicate to justice. We are longtime supporters of Sea Shepherd, and we are glad to get to bring this story of their efforts to #savethevaquita to Austin.

Where:

AFS Cinema

6406 N I-35 Suite 3100 Austin, TX, 78752

When:

Tuesday, August 27 @ 7:30 pm

Peace, Love & Happiness Tractor

PLH Foundation Director Constance Dykhuizen with New Leaf Farm Manager Wandaka Musongera

Multicultural Refugee Coalition is an innovative nonprofit organization blending skills-based education with social entrepreneurship to connect refugees to dignified, fair-wage work in Austin, Texas. One of their projects is the New Leaf Agriculture Project and Farm. We got to visit the farm as it was starting up in 2018 and were so impressed, we donated a tractor to help with the efforts. They have partnerships with local businesses to grow unexpected crops like those used for dyeing textiles and making tea. We recently got to see the tractor in use with farm manager Wandaka Musongera. Growing in the heat of a Texas summer is no joke, but the MRC team meets the challenge with enthusiasm, and we’re so happy the tractor helps.

Here’s more from MRC:

We launched a commercial farm in nearby Elgin, TX. The New Leaf at Three Creeks Farm employs organic, sustainable practices while training refugee farm apprentices for paid agricultural work that is dignified, in-demand and familiar from their countries of origin. Established on a conservation easement, our farm grows directly for local makers and will also sell produce through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model…

…we began supporting local entrepreneur Colleen Preheim to grow roselle hibiscus on her property and are continuing producing for Texas Roselle on our farm. In 2018 the first crop to be planted at our farm was corn, in several varieties, for Barton Springs Mill, which is an Austin mill creating artisan flours from locally grown heritage grains. The third partnership is based on a relationship between our own Open Arms Studio and Miranda Bennett Studio, a local designer of plant-dyed, made-in-the-US apparel. Our stitchers at Open Arms produce Miranda Bennett's clothes and we are proud to now be growing Mexican mint marigold for dye.   

Girls Impact the World Film Fest 2019

The Girls Impact the World Film Festival focused on issues facing women and girls around the world. High school and undergraduate students submit 3-6 minute short films that address global women's issues such as: education for girls, maternal health, violence against women and girls, and a variety of other issues. This year, we received over 200 submissions from 42 countries!

Eloise has been a judge and sponsor of this film festival for the last six years, providing more than $200,000 in scholarships to young filmmakers. Some of our favorite films from this year’s winners include Lucia, What I Love Most, The Skin Tone Rule and We Could Be Champion Too.

Masters and Founders Podcast

An Update from Grow Appalachia

Founding Austin

The current edition of Founding Austin magazine is all about Peace, Love & Happiness. John Paul and Eloise are featured along with some of their favorite organizations in this month’s philanthropy edition of the magazine that is in print in Austin, Texas and online for all.