By SARAH THOMACK
St. Joseph Post
Second Harvest Community Food Bank is implementing a change they hope will ultimately serve more food insecure families in the area.
Second Harvest plans to transition it’s Fresh Start program to holding a weekly Mega Mobile.
Second Harvest Communications Coordinator Blake Haynes said Fresh Start is on-site pantry for non-perishable goods as well as meat, dairy and more. Haynes compares the Mega Mobile, which was first held in December, to a fresh mobile pantry. They distributed fresh produce, lean proteins, milk and more to the general public.
Two other separate Mega Mobiles were held in February and March, providing over 21,000 pounds of fresh produce and more.
“Having this transition, we think, is going to better serve our members that utilize our services,” Haynes said. “It also opens it up to other members that may be on the income guideline, right there on that threshold, that aren’t able to utilize our services because they make, maybe, $50 more than what is allowed, so it opens this program up to them. It’s going to be able to allow us to reach more of those that are in need.”
Effective May 6th, Fresh Start will only be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“This is going to lead into a weekly Mega Mobile that will take effect July 1st, so the Fresh Start program is going to be transitioning into a weekly mobile there on site at Second Harvest, at 915 Douglas. We’re reaching those that we’re not currently reaching through the Fresh Start pantry,” Haynes said. “Another thing is… it addresses some weather, health and safety concerns. Now with the Mega Mobile, you’re in your car, you’re not out in the elements, you’re driving right up getting your product.”
Haynes said, moving forward, with the Mega Mobile being open to the general public, it will eliminate the need for a pantry card to utilize those services. To obtain a pantry card, members have to apply on-site and have access to their personal identification documents, which not all can provide.
Dates and times for each Mega Mobile will be sent out through Second Harvest’s text message notification system, TextCaster. To register for TextCaster, contact Second Harvest at (816) 364-3663.