Ypsi’s We the People Opportunity Farm will continue founder Melvin Parson’s mission after his sudden passing

On the Ground Ypsilanti is an “embedded journalism” program covering the city and township of Ypsilanti. It is supported by Ann Arbor SPARK, the Center for Health and Research Transformation, Destination Ann Arbor, Eastern Michigan University, Engage @ EMU, Washtenaw Community College, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, and Washtenaw ISD.

Following the unexpected death of founder Melvin Parson earlier this year, leadership at Ypsilanti nonprofit We The People Opportunity Farm (WTPOF) is focused on ensuring the organization continues serving formerly incarcerated residents and expanding opportunities for community involvement in the years ahead.

Founded to reduce recidivism through urban farming, mentorship, and workforce development, the organization provides paid internships for formerly incarcerated individuals while distributing free, fresh produce throughout the community. Now, newly appointed Executive Director LaWanda Hollister says the organization’s immediate focus is preserving the systems and values Parson built.

“Whatever it is that Melvin was doing worked very well and was very sustainable,” Hollister says. “We need to figure out how to move forward with what Melvin was doing first that made it sustainable to keep it that way.”

Hollister says her own lived experience with incarceration deeply informs how she approaches the role.

“I am formerly incarcerated myself, and it’s difficult to receive employment, training, [and] resources upon reentry,” she says. “I know the things I went through, the difficulties, the good and the bad, and I want to be able to bridge that gap for others that are returning.”

Hollister first joined the farm as an intern after returning home in 2020. She later served on WTPOF’s board. She says Parson and the farm helped shape major milestones in her life, including opening her first bank account and learning how to drive.

“I live in this community where the farm is located,” she says. “I am a recipient of the food. I frequent some of the restaurants that work with the farm. It’s a part of my community.”

Following Parson’s death, Hollister says there were initial conversations about potentially shutting the organization down. Instead, she chose to step into leadership.

“With Melvin’s passing, the farm wanted to originally close down, and I couldn’t allow that to happen,” she says. “I stood up to do whatever it was that I could do to keep it moving forward.”

WTPOF board president Victoria Burton-Harris says Hollister’s leadership has helped stabilize the organization during a difficult transition period.

“LaWanda’s leadership marks continued growth in an organization founded on freedom, radical love, and kindness,” Burton-Harris says. “There is no better person to continue the legacy of Melvin than a woman who has similar lived experiences and a similar heart for people and their growth.”

Parson founded the organization after beginning his own urban farming journey in 2014. Through WTPOF, he created pathways for returning citizens to access employment, training, and community support while addressing food insecurity in Ypsilanti neighborhoods.

WTPOF’s paid internship program runs from April through November and includes agricultural training, financial literacy coaching, nutrition classes, career-building workshops, and other community engagement activities. The organization’s no-cost food distribution initiative has distributed more than 35,000 pounds of food since launching in 2020. 

Organization leaders say maintaining and strengthening community partnerships will be key to sustaining WTPOF’s momentum. WTPOF Director of Operations Josie Ann Lee says the nonprofit is currently developing a more formal community engagement structure designed to create additional volunteer and partnership opportunities while continuing projects already in development. Those projects include the planned Good Soil Cafe in Ypsilanti Township, which will employ returning citizens.

“We’re building in place a solid framework so that the cafe is on the table,” Lee says. “We’re looking at the systems underneath it, developing a community engagement hub, a systemic approach to getting the community involved with campaigns.”

Lee says the organization is also exploring the creation of an endowment in Parson’s name to help stabilize long-term operations and reduce reliance on grants. While the initiative is still in its early planning stages, WTPOF leaders hope it will create a sustainable funding source for future programming and operations.

“If anything, the call to action would be to go to the website and be on the lookout for updates,” Lee says. “We want to kick off an endowment in Melvin’s name. We don’t want to just rely on grants.”

Leaders are also encouraging community members to stay engaged through donations, partnerships, mentorship opportunities, and future volunteer initiatives. One area of focus moving forward will be improving the “offboarding” process for interns once seasonal work concludes. Hollister explains that the farm collaborates with some local businesses in order to get interns into long-term jobs once the season has ended. She is hopeful that more business owners will see the value in WTPOF’s work so the organization’s partner network can continue to expand.

“Some of our connections are the same as Melvin had, but connections really are a personal type of thing,” Hollister says. “We would want for people to volunteer themselves instead of us trying to bombard them.”

Even as the organization works through grief and transition, Hollister says Parson’s philosophy of “kindness and dignity” continues guiding the team’s work. 

“We’ll never have another Melvin,” she says. “But hopefully we can do this with the same kindness and dignity that he has always inspired and tried to bring out of us.”

To keep up to date with WTPOF and to find opportunities to donate and volunteer, visit wtpof.org or the farm’s Facebook page.