ImpactAlpha, September 9 – The Paul Robeson Community Wellness Center has opened with funding support from the Kellogg Foundation, Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, Whole Cities Foundation, Designing Futures Foundation, and the Metabolic Studios/Annenberg Foundation.

The wellness center is based in South Central L.A.—a majority  Hispanic region of Los Angeles where 50% of the population lacks a high school degree and more than 40% of the population earns less than $20,000 per year.

Nonprofit organization Community Services Unlimited bought the 10,000-square-foot center three-years ago with plans to convert it to a community center offering resident services and health and wellness initiatives, including nutritious affordable food. It opened at the end of August featuring an organic product market, commercial kitchen, cafe, urban farm, community meeting space and rental space for local organizations, and outdoor classrooms.

“This unprecedented space in South Los Angeles meets a critical community need for resources and services, while revitalizing the neighborhood and serving as a model for community self-sufficiency and self-reliance,” Community Services Unlimited’s Neelam Sharma said in a statement.

Among the financial support the center received was a $1 million, 10-year program-related investment from the Kellogg Foundation, which invested the capital as part of its mission to “address the root causes of racial inequity and bias by harnessing the power of the capital markets.”

The center was named after Paul Leroy Robeson, an African-American actor, athlete and political activist. 

Other supporting organizations include the U.S. Green Building Council’s L.A. chapter, City National Bank, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CA Fresh Works, LIFT Economy and Self-Help Credit Union.