Grounded In Community

ABOUT US

GROUNDED IN COMMUNITY

Grounded in Community is a 501(c)3 all-volunteer grassroots organization connecting people to the impact their food choices have on personal and planetary health. Three times a day, people have the opportunity to support food choices that enhance the well-being of everyone along the food chain supply, from the field to the table and the world around us.

Grounded in Community evolved from the 30 year old Palo Alto non-profit, Peninsula Macrobiotic Community, whose mission was to create community dinners which celebrated our connection to each other through healthy, sustainable food. Decades after the first dinner, the mission has expanded to include partnering with local community groups who help to bring healthy affordable food to their communities.

MONTHLY COMMUNITY DINNERS

We hold monthly plant based community dinners and feature local chefs from many culinary traditions.

PROJECTS

Photo courtesy of Elephant Friendly Certified Tea.

TEAS FOR TUSKERS

Teas for Tuskers (TM) is a project launched by Grounded in Community to make elephant certified teas and drought resistance teas available to non-profit and for profit organizations in order to bring awareness of the impact people's food and drink choices have on people and the planet. We source our tea from the Elephant Origins who certifies elephant friendly tea farms.

Find out more

FAST MEALS | SLOW COOKERS | COOL PLANET

Fast Meals | Slow Cookers | Cool Planet (TM) is a collaborative effort with local community organizations dedicated to bringing affordable healthy food to low resource communities. Many households in our communities do not have access to a kitchen with contributes to food insecurity. Fast Meals | Slow Cookers | Cool Planet(TM) project purchases slow-cookers for eligible households. Slow cookers are a safe, efficient way to cook an affordable, hot, healthy meal, a great alternative to pre-packaged processed foods.

Find out more

ECO-STOVES

Grounded in Community is partnering with Elephant Origins to provide clean cookstoves to tea workers on elephant-friendly certified tea gardens. Efficient, low-polluting cookstoves reduce fine particulate matter and carbon monoxide exposure, improving the respiratory health of people while mitigating black carbon. Clean cookstoves help elephants as well by reducing habitat degradation caused by collecting wood for cookstove fires.

Find out more

Advisory Board

Barry Schenker

Long time Berkeley resident and plant-based gourmet chef, Barry, along with his physician wife, Diane Rebman, co-founded Genuto a creamy, nut based frozen dessert.

John Donohue

How does a 60 plus year old Stanford Law Professor still play basketball with his 20 something old students? Plant powered!

Diana Rebman

Diana is a physician and an award winning wildlife photographer. Co-founder of the gourmet nut-based frozen dessert, Genuto, Diana believes that a plant based diet is not only good for the health of her patients, but the health of the planet.

Advisory Board

Dr. Diana Hawkins Manuelian

Diana balances her work as a consultant, entrepreneur, and academic with healthy eating and meditation. Diana inspires us all with her creative mind, kind heart and warm smile.

Shwetha Shivarama

Growing up in a community that respected and worshiped nature, Shwetha has spent her life advocating for the well-being of both humans and animals. With a degree in Sustainable International Development, Shwetha works with NGOs focused on wildlife conservation and education.

Steve Smith

When he's not directing a team of engineers, you can find Steve on his bike or with his three grandchildren. Steve hosted on the original group homes in SV, opening up his historic Victorian to an eclectic group of young professionals including artists, teachers, chefs, and graduate students.

DIANA REBMAN

"My photos provide the viewer with an intimate look at the daily lives of animals in their natural habitat. I strive to capture displays of love, play, cooperation, fear, and anger which can be witnessed in all species. By encouraging an emotional connection between the viewer and the animal, I hope to awaken a concern for the survival of these endangered species as well as an understanding that all animals are sentient beings."

Twin Hope, Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 Commended Image

Board of Directors

Maureen O'Kicki, Director

Maureen started attending the Peninsula Macrobiotic Dinners 21 years ago when she first moved to the Bay Area. She's been an advocate for human and non-human animal rights for decades and works with high energy, high impact organizations seeking sustainable solutions for a shared planet.

Claudia Tomaso, Secretary

Claudia is a long-time vegetarian advocate and a 25-year member of Grounded in Community, (formerly the Peninsula Macrobiotic Community). She focuses on health and nutrition and eats locally sustainable whole foods. When she's not recruiting for a new start-up, Claudia is traveling the globe using a small carbon footprint.

Mary O'Kicki, Treasurer

As a scientist, project manager and lawyer, Mary has extensive experience in utilizing an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to develop and implement innovative data driven solutions to address environmental and sustainability concerns. Top recommendation: eat more plants (less meat).