This Latina Is on a Mission to Bring Healthier, Affordable Food to More Latinx Communities

By Yvette Montoya

Todo Verde has come a long way! Jocelyn Ramirez’s mission to fight for the Latino community’s access to affordable, clean foods began with smoothies and has now grown into a full on catering business.

Her journey started back in 2014 when her father was diagnosed with throat cancer for the second time and Ramirez made the decision to put him on a strict plant-based diet in the days leading up to his surgery. “The doctors couldn’t do radiation therapy so close to his first round of treatment,” she explained. “So they were going to have to do surgery – it was going to be much more invasive. In order to get him ready for that surgery I had to get him as strong as possible to prepare for the recovery.” And she did. Her father healed quickly but it was a wake up call for the entire family. It also awakened something within her. “When my dad got sick we started to explore healthy food [and] my parents really encouraged me to follow my passion. When my dad was out of the hospital I decided to take the leap. That was my practice round in regimenting. It was a little incubator moment to try to heal my family through this lifestyle.”  (Read more)