Music Changing Lives Celebrates 26th Anniversary by Combating Inland Food Deserts with Community Garden Harvesting

Music Changing Lives (MCL), a nonprofit organization that has empowered youth through arts and education for over two decades, celebrated its 26th anniversary at its community garden in San Bernardino, addressing the region’s food deserts through planting and harvesting crops and plants.

The event, held at the Uptown San Bernardino Urban Garden at 261 W 40th Street, brought together nearly five dozen community members to plant beans and kale, harvest lettuce and cilantro, and celebrate the fruitful collaboration. Food deserts, characterized by limited access to affordable and nutritious food, plague many areas of the Inland Empire, including San Bernardino. MCL’s efforts aimed to alleviate these disparities, cultivating a vibrant community of food and creativity.

“We want to thank the community for joining us on this historic moment. We’re celebrating 26 years of serving the Inland Empire for arts and creativity,” said MCL Founder Josiah Bruny. “What better way to combat being a food desert than with the artistic expression of planting herbs and native plants? Our garden has over 30 different species of fruit trees surrounding us. And we have over 70 different species of vegetables that we’re actually getting to harvest and taste today for the first time ever.”

Bruny emphasized the importance of community support in their continued success. The garden not only addresses food insecurity in the Inland Empire but also nurtures local bonds. Attendees enjoyed performances by live artists, showcasing MCL’s mission to blend arts, education, and community development.

Tia Youngblood, co-founder of Soulful Soil Farms in Corona, emphasized the importance of community gardens in areas suffering from food deserts. “We’re harvesting lettuce and cilantro today and planting more flowers along the arrow; and just planted beans and kale. Community urban gardens are so important because so many areas of our region are food deserts, with a fast food majority and less fresh produce, and if fresh produce is available to our communities – our communities are often priced out. Gardens like this keep people involved locally and regionally and help build friendships.”

MCL began in 1998 when Bruny established a recording studio in his home in Moreno Valley, teaching young musicians how to record and copyright their music. Drawing on his experience working with prominent figures like Master P and Ice Cube, Bruny has transformed MCL into an organization that empowers at-risk youth through arts, music, and entrepreneurship programs.

The celebration marked 26 years of serving Riverside and San Bernardino counties, reaching thousands of youth every year. MCL’s efforts continue to make a profound impact on individuals and communities, paving the way for a healthier, more artistically vibrant Inland Empire.