Buckle up - Food Club is hitting the road! Our new Food Club Mobile Market is coming soon, an initiative that will increase fresh food access to help build healthy neighborhoods.

Families who struggle to access the healthy food they need often face a complex web of challenges, where a challenge in one area creates a ripple effect across many systems. In the case of food access, when our neighbors lack the reliable transportation they need to get to Food Club, they’re unable to access the healthy food that their family needs to thrive. In Ottawa County alone, 15% of our neighbors who experience food insecurity are unable to utilize food services because they do not have transportation (Healthy Ottawa, 2021). 

“For years, we've known that transportation is a barrier that many in our community face when trying to access the food they need to nourish their families. That's why we're so excited to be launching our Food Club Mobile Market, to bring the dignified experience of healthy food access out into the community. Being able to offer access to fresh fruit and vegetables in the neighborhoods where people live means more of our neighbors will be able to get the foods they want and need.” 

- Chara Bouma-Prediger, Director of Food Access Programs

Looking ahead, the Food Club Mobile Market will also bring our other services directly to neighborhoods. By connecting families with resource navigation and nutrition education services alongside healthy food, the Mobile Market will empower our neighbors with the resources they need to build a brighter future, right outside their doors.

We are thrilled to be launching our Food Club Mobile Market in the coming months, and are grateful to our partners at UnitedHealthcare for providing us with a $300,000 community grant to expand the availability of nutritious food.

“We are honored to support the launch of the Food Club Mobile Market to help increase access to critical resources in the community. By ensuring individuals and families have access to nutritious food we’re enabling them to live healthier lives.” 

- Dennis Mouras, CEO, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Michigan

 As we move closer to sending our Mobile Market out on the road, we’ll be sharing more details, including the official launch date, the market's weekly schedule, and ways that community members can get involved. Stay tuned for more information and to learn how you can help build a stronger, healthier community through our new Mobile Market!

References

Healthy Ottawa. (2021). 2021 Healthy Ottawa Plan. miottawa.org/Health/OCHD/pdf/Health_Ottawa_2021_Report.pdf