Who We Are

Who we are

Seeds of Hope is a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles which seeks to cultivate wellness in our communities. We provide garden-based nutrition education and practical cooking instruction to help our friends and neighbors live healthier. We also work with congregations, communities, and schools, to transform unused land into productive gardens and orchards to provide healthy and fresh food in areas of need across the county.

In our work, we look to create, promote, and sustain urban farms, food recovery, gardens, and garden-based programs throughout the Diocese of Los Angeles to nurture the physical as well as spiritual wellness of individuals and communities. We focus on a diocese-wide approach to food production, distribution, and preparation, in so doing, we are able to benefit the hungry and undernourished in our churches and within our broader communities.

Our Mission

Seeds of Hope's mission is to seek food justice - equal, affordable access to healthy, nutritious food - currently, this is not the reality in Los Angeles. In our communities:

4.5 million people are living in poverty.
3 million people, including ¼ of children, suffer from hunger or food insecurity.
More than half of the people, including ⅕ of all children, are overweight or obese.
Obesity causes or exacerbates numerous health conditions, which can lead to increased healthcare costs, decreased income, and shortening life spans for those affected.

Despite these difficult circumstances, we work to replace a scarcity mindset with one of abundance. That starts with us. We use all we have to do all we can to address the inequity in food access and disparities in health outcomes that we see in our community.

Meet Our Team

TIM ALDERSON

Executive Director

Tim Alderson is the Executive Director of Seeds of Hope, the food justice ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, which grows and distributes food in over 100 communities of need across six Southern California counties. His lifetime in agriculture has included nearly 20 years as CEO of AgriGator, Inc., a multi-national soil amendment manufacturer, as well as numerous industry boards including the board of directors of the National Agri-Marketing Association. He was the founding chairman of the California School Garden Network and was appointed by two California governors to the board of the Schools Agriculture and Nutrition Program where he currently serves as President. He was also appointed to the California Department of Education School Garden Advisory Committee. Tim lives in Pasadena, California where he has served as Chairman of the city’s Recreation and Parks Commission and the Mayor’s Workforce Housing Task Force.

STEVEN TRAPASSO

Nutrition Education
Program Coordinator

Steven Trapasso was born and raised in New Jersey. After college in New York, he joined AmeriCorps in California and found his calling to help others. He graduated with a Master of Public Health in Nutrition from Tulane’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans. Steve has extensive experience growing food through his work on farms while in the WWOOF program and EnrichLA. He considers himself very lucky to be working for Seeds of Hope and continuing its mission to “Cultivate Wellness” through nutrition education, cooking and gardening. His favorite savory food is bread. His favorite sweet food is dark chocolate.

ERICA NIEVES

Nutrition Education
Program Assistant

Erica Nieves was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. She remembers the cabbages and onions her parents had growing in the backyard and the rooster that sung every morning at her grandma’s house. Little did she realize as a kid how exposed she was to the rich and fruitful culture of growing food in the urban setting. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Public Health Promotion from California State University Northridge, became a UC Master Gardener for LA County in 2016, and is working on a Horticulture Certificate program through UCLA Extension. Working with Seeds of Hope gave her the opportunity to learn more about the power of healthy eating and then get the chance to teach others. Gardening and cooking next to someone from the community is her favorite part of this job. Her favorite fruits are papaya and loquats.

ELYSE WEGNER

Program Assistant

Elyse Wegner was born and raised in the middle of the Midwest right outside of Chicago, Illinois. She found herself western bound to California to join the Episcopal Urban Intern Program in Los Angeles after graduating college. Working with Seeds of Hope has made an enormous impact on her life in the way she views food, health and community. Having been surrounded by endless rows of corn growing up, California was a whole new world filled with ripe fruit trees and abundant gardens. Watching people’s lives being transformed when making the connection between the food we eat and using it as a method of healing has brought her the most joy, as well as working alongside passionate and influential human beings. Her favorite food is roasted broccoli!

PAYTON HOEGH

Communications Manager

Payton manages Communications for Seeds of Hope, Jubilee Consortium, and a number of like minded non-profits. He spends too much time on computers. It's for the best that, on occasion, he gets to spend time in the gardens and kitchens with the Seeds team. It's the only sun he gets.

ASHLEY CROSSWHITE

Garden Specialist

Ashley graduated from UCLA with a Gardening and Horticulture certificate and began working in the Urban Ag community in 2014. She is currently completing her internship hours to become a Horticultural Therapist. She has experience in flower farming and California native landscaping, as well as raised bed gardening for private residences, kitchens, schools and business. She is experienced in utilizing gardening as a tool for physical and emotional wellness and sees it as an effective tool for all people. She believes that people who are curious about gardening should be able to access it.