Last week, the Mobile Tastiness Machine made its way on the road for a pilot run in the community of Parrish Manor, where we also work with neighborhood youth to manage a community garden and host nutrition education classes. The food truck, which houses our Mobile Meals program, made its debut with tasty turkey stir-fry with vegetables and brown rice, and a side of fresh strawberries. "Yay!" came the first customer's response upon hearing the menu.
Chef Terri Hutter and Kitchen Manager Sunshine Beard worked the window.
Kids in the community gave curious looks and shouts over to the colorful truck as the school bus dropped them off in front of the Parrish Manor office where we were parked. Some were hesitant to wander over at first, but once they heard that the food was free, they didn't just wander up to the truck....they ran.
Word spread pretty quickly, and soon dozens of kids were served hot, nutritious meals.
Look for the truck in low-income communities this summer serving up hot lunches and supper six days a week, along with nutrition education and physical activities.