Fresh Truck turns buses into mobile markets that carry about 40 kinds of produce at 30 to 40 percent below grocery store prices. Jay Vilar grew up in a Filipino household where his grandmother, his Lola, did the cooking and his mom was a holistic nurse practitioner, so food and health were always connected for him.
Jay was a VP at an ad agency before he moved into nutritional therapy and studied regenerative agriculture at the Rodale Institute. In this episode of The PR Bunker Podcast he talks about why fresh food is a basic human right and how Fresh Truck reaches people across Boston.
A few takeaways from the conversation:
Fresh Truck's fleet of four serves 21 neighborhoods five days a week. Communities invite the markets in, and community representatives staff them.
Through HIP, shoppers who use SNAP get an extra $40 to $80 a month to spend on fruits and vegetables, which stretches what families can bring home.
The markets are at capacity, so rather than buying a new truck that can cost around $700,000, Fresh Truck is building an e-commerce option to reach more people.
Jay's advice for anyone who wants to work in the nonprofit world is simple: learn to raise money.
Learn more about Fresh Truck at freshtruck.org.
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What is Fresh Truck?
Fresh Truck is a Boston nonprofit that runs mobile markets on converted buses, selling fresh produce at 30 to 40 percent below grocery prices in 21 neighborhoods.
Does Fresh Truck accept SNAP?
Yes. Through HIP, SNAP shoppers get an extra $40 to $80 a month to spend on produce.
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