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Our hand sorters provide an essential function within The Wonderful Company. Detecting defects in our nuts and manually separating them from the rest, these employees are at the forefront of helping to produce our iconic brands. In 2019, Wonderful Health & Wellness, our community medical provider and partner, identified hand sorters as needing further support, since 75% of them were either diabetic or pre-diabetic. What began as a hand-sorter intervention soon became a lifestyle adjustment with rippling community effects. Our 35 volunteers reduced pre-diabetes to 42%, and the average weight lost was 19 pounds per person, with one person shedding close to 44 pounds.
To celebrate the accomplishments of our hand sorters who stayed committed to the intensive program, our co-founder, Lynda Resnick, wanted to give them a gift they could cherish. With the help of Central Valley muralist Jennifer Williams-Cordova, the vision was to create a vibrant mural in Packing Room 18 of the Wonderful Pistachios plant, highlighting themes important to them—nature, their culture, and family.
This project started with Jennifer meeting with the hand sorters for inspiration, listening to their stories and what mattered to them. She created and painted a digital art concept onto a 3.5 ft. x 25 ft. canvas. Then, the canvas was photographed, digitized, retouched by Wonderful Agency, printed on vinyl, and installed in the packing room during the Spring of 2023.
The mural is a mix of colorful stylized imagery reminiscent of Mexican folk art and the mixed-media street art style Jennifer is known for in Kern County. The photographed hands in the middle of the art piece reflect the hands of those in Packing Room 18, so they can see a part of themselves when they glance up at the art.
From the monarch butterflies and birds to the nopales, maternal figures, pistachio branches, and blossoms, the art piece reflects things that remind the hand sorters of their families, their home, and what they hold close to their heart.
