This month, we wanted to bring you to the South End Community Health Center which is one of our busiest weekly market locations. Our partnership with the health center nutritionists, clinicians, staff, and outreach workers has been critical to our success in the neighborhood. With the demand for FreshRx and the new Healthy Incentives Program, we’ve had to open an additional stop every Monday.
Monnique or ‘Mo’ as she likes to be called, has been a long-time advocate for Fresh Truck in the neighborhood. “Two years ago I was 260 lbs and now I’m down to 189. Since then, I’ve been eating right, and just decided to take my health a lot more seriously. I experienced a lot of pain and aching happening in my body, and when I started to lose weight the pain started going away. ” Since she started shopping with Fresh Truck, Mo has been incorporating fruits and vegetables into every meal she eats. Even during the holidays, Mo is finding ways of championing her new eating habits. “As long as I stay under 191 I live pain-free and am happy. I started developing muscle and working out too so that I wouldn’t get too skinny now!”
Mo is a community figure and big personality in South End. “My place is like a little landmark in the community. I turned my plot into a little sitting area, everyone who walks by knows me and my dog. I even bring my TV out here in the summer and chill with the neighborhood.” Mo has been living in the South End for decades and is a regular shopper on Fresh Truck, in addition, she is also an advocate and ambassador for her community. Whenever there is a new resource in the neighborhood, she is one of the first people to know about it and spread the word.
“The impact of Fresh Truck on the community has been positive across the board, which is why I spend my time out here telling everyone about Fresh Truck. I’m even happier that it’s two days a week now. Now with the HIP Program, the savings have been even greater.” The Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) offers customers with SNAP benefits the option to purchase $40-$80 worth of fruits and vegetables (depending on their household size) automatically reimbursed into their cards each month. By expanding the purchasing power of our shoppers, this program has enabled many folks to incorporate more produce into their diets. We are excited to be able to offer this resource to our shoppers at the Fresh Truck.
We are so thankful for Monnique’s advocacy for Fresh Truck and her excitement about sharing healthy habits with her neighbors. Without community partners and ambassadors like Mo, help us make each market stronger and further our impact in neighborhoods across Boston.
Fresh Truck reaches hundreds of Boston families and individuals every week. Whether it’s through our Pop-Up Events, Weekly Market, or FreshRx Program we provide fresh food that ends up in the cabinets, refrigerators and dinner plates of communities across the city. Fresh Truck becomes a part of our neighborhoods, we know our customers and their stories and they know ours. Which is why we are excited to start ‘Fresh Truck Community Beet’ to share and celebrate the incredible stories of food, health, and community that we hear every day.