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About The Tree Of New America

From Concept to Coordinated System The Tree of New America began as an exploration of story, identity, and shared experience. What started as a creative effort to capture human journeys—particularly immigrant stories—evolved into something more practical and necessary. Through direct engagement with communities across Orange County, a consistent pattern emerged: resources existed, organizations were active, and people were willing to help—but these efforts were not connected in a structured way. That realization led to a shift—from storytelling to system-building.

Why This Work Evolved

Recognizing the GapIn real-world environments, food recovery, distribution, housing support, and volunteer activity were all happening—but independently. The issue was not a lack of effort. It was a lack of coordination. The Tree of New America was formed to address that gap—by building a system that connects these moving parts into a continuous, structured flow. The goal was not to replace existing organizations, but to organize and strengthen them through alignment.

What The Tree Of New America Is

A System Builder The Tree of New America operates as a system integrator—designing and deploying the Sustainability Ecosystem™ Platform to coordinate food recovery, workforce activity, and housing support. This work is grounded in real-world application. The system has been developed through active deployment across community, housing, and retail environments—shaped by practical experience rather than theory. The result is a model designed to operate consistently, scale across regions, and align with public, private, and community partners.

The Role Of The Tree

A Physical Expression of the SystemAlongside the development of the system, the Tree of New America is developing a physical structure—the Tree itself—as a public-facing interface. The Tree is designed to make coordination visible. It reflects the movement of resources, participation, and impact across the system—translating operational activity into a shared, experiential form. It is both a working interface and a forward-facing representation of the model being built.

Built Through Partnership

Aligned Across Sectors The system has been developed through collaboration with community organizations, housing providers, retail partners, and local stakeholders. Each partner contributes to the system while maintaining their own mission and identity. The platform provides the structure that aligns these efforts—enabling coordinated activity without centralizing control. This multi-partner approach is foundational to how the system operates and scales.

Leadership & Strategic Development

Supporting System Design and Organizational Growth This layer of leadership strengthens the Tree of New America’s ability to operate, scale, and sustain a coordinated system across communities. By aligning financial strategy, operational structure, and real-world execution, this group supports the development of a platform designed for consistency, accountability, and long-term growth. Supported by experienced leadership and strategic contributors, the Tree of New America is building a coordinated system designed for scale. Together their combined experience informs system design, supports structured deployment, and ensures that the organization continues to evolve with the discipline and clarity required for multi-region expansion.
Cristina Quiles
Chief Financial Officer & Controller
Provides financial leadership supporting organizational structure, sustainability, and scalable growth. As a former Fortune 500 finance leader, her experience informs the financial discipline required to support system expansion, strengthen financial stewardship, and guide long-term operational viability.
Taylor Hadden
Advisor-Consultant
Supports the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and their frameworks. His background as a retired U.S. Army Veteran, Senior Intelligence Analyst & Global Security Risk Advisor strengthens the platform’s ability to operate with consistency, discipline, and scalability across environments while supporting compliance.
Tyson Whitaker
Outreach Ops
Director, Seeking Him Outreach leads the Tree of New America’s real-world execution through direct community engagement, supporting field operations & distribution activity. His work connects strategy to practice—ensuring coordinated design translates into consistent, on-the-ground impact across communities.

Founding Team

Building Through ExperienceThe Tree of New America was founded by a team with diverse backgrounds, united by a shared focus on building systems that connect people, resources, and opportunity. The team’s work reflects a progression from concept to deployment—grounded in hands-on experience and continuous refinement.
Harold K. Arscott Founder
Executive VP Lead Grant Writer | Strategic Program Director | IP Platform Architect | Systems Designer
Jessica Becerra Co-Founder
President Leadership, brand & strategic organizational alignment communications, social media
Melissa Locke Co-Founder
Spokesperson Public Relations, Community Engagement, and Narrative Development
Eric Wilder Co-Founder
Outreach Director Community Outreach, Early Vision Development, and Program Support

A System Designed to Scale

From Local Deployment to Broader Impact What began as local coordination has evolved into a system designed for broader deployment. The platform is structured to expand across counties and regions—aligning partners into a scalable, coordinated model. This growth is not driven by expansion alone, but by alignment—connecting existing systems into a unified framework.

Looking Forward

Building Toward a Shared FutureThe Tree of New America continues to develop both the system and its physical interface—the Tree—through ongoing deployment, partnership, and participation. The long-term vision is a coordinated ecosystem operating across regions, supported by a structure that is both functional and visible. This work is ongoing—built through collaboration, refined through application, and designed to evolve over time.

Next Steps

Be Part of What’s Being Built The Tree of New America is building more than a system—it is building a coordinated model for how communities can operate together. Whether through partnership, participation, or support, there is a role within the structure for those who choose to be part of it. [Explore the System | Experience the Tree | Get Involved]
If you are the manager of a permanent or temporary supportive housing property whose residents are experiencing food insecurity, we can help!
With support from the Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation, the Tree of New America is one of three nonprofit organizations that form the Community Food Support Coalition, OC.
Three Nonprofits, One Mission
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Tree of New America EIN #33-3848612 is a fully registered California non-profit organization classified as a 501(c)3. All donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.
Tree of New America (TONA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working at the intersection of food access, sustainability, and care. Originally conceived as a multicultural film arts project, TONA evolved into a food sustainability advocate and facilitator supporting communities experiencing food insecurity.
Today, TONA partners with permanent and temporary supportive housing providers and regional food recovery organizations to expand access to nutritious food through Mobile-PopUp food pantries and community TableTop-PopUp cooking events. Our work focuses on overcoming transportation barriers, reducing food waste, and strengthening community well-being through reliable food access.
TONA also participates in food sustainability education by offering internship and service-learning opportunities for high school and college students, emphasizing the full food cycle—from rescue and distribution to responsible bio-waste recovery.
As a facilitation partner and advocate for food sustainability, TONA supports collaborative efforts aligned with initiatives such as the Zero Hunger, Zero Waste movement.
© 2026 Tree of New America. The Tree of New America platform concept, civic installation design, Learning Center framework, and associated sustainability coordination architecture were created by Harold K. Arscott. Intellectual property related to the platform architecture and installation concept remains the property of its creator and is used in connection with the Tree of New America initiative. All rights reserved. Legal Disclosures Terms of Use Privacy Policy