Chicago woman uses ice cream to create resources for youth in North Lawndale
CHICAGO (CBS) -- On this Foodie Friday, here is the scoop on a frozen dessert favorite and how it's helping one woman impact her community.
Ida's Artisan Ice Cream in North Lawndale can't be found in stores, but it is at the Museum of Ice Cream.
"So when you walk through the doors, the first thing we ask you to do is just tap into that childlike wonder that adulthood tends to chip away at," said Alex Bruehl, the museum's manager.
Here, the first step is getting some ice cream into your hands and then some more.
"You can eat as much ice cream as you like," he said.
A large portion of the ice cream is made by Ida Nelson - owner of Ida's Artisan Ice Cream.
The ice cream was brought into the museum as a temporary partner for Black History Month last year.
"When we were trying to figure out a way to celebrate Black History Month, we were trying to find someone we could partner with who represented the community, and Ida stuck out," Bruehl said.
And she stuck around.
"The great thing about working with the Museum of Ice Cream is they not only talk about diversity and inclusion, it's something that is celebrated and encouraged here as well," Nelson said.
The original partnership went so well that the museum began sourcing ice cream from Ida to be served throughout the museum all year long.
"You can start having her ice cream right at the speakeasy, have it again once you hit the cloud room, and have it again in our carnival room. That is where we are highlighting the special Black History Month ice cream she made," Bruehl said.
This year's Black History Month flavor is strawberry pop-tart, but that's just one of a handful of Ida's ice creams being served in the museum.
"This partnership allows me to keep the youth for my community that works for me, employed year-round and not just through the summer," Nelson said.
And for Ida, that's what it's all about.
"The thing for me is it's bigger than ice cream. This brand is about creating resources via creating jobs for youth and changing the trajectory of the poverty level in my community," she said.
The museum is working to bridge the gap between their home on the Mag Mile and communities in the city by highlighting and investing in the talent blossoming on the West Side.
"My business is a reflection of what can be when there is investment into and to a minority-owned business," Nelson said. "What I'm able to do, and the resources that I'm able to generate just from that small investment, it's really impacting poverty."
"And has had an impact in her community and the Chicago community at large," Bruehl said.
"And I'm big on creating something that spreads some good into the world, and I figure ice cream was a good place to start," Nelson said.
Ida plans to open a storefront in the Lawndale community this summer, but until then, her artisan ice creams are available via online orders only. The company delivers and caters for events as well.