This month, we welcomed Victor Matta to the About Fresh team! With the introduction of our newest mobile market, we are excited to grow our team to expand our programming and carry out our mission.
We are excited to have you join the About Fresh family. As a Fresh Truck Market Manager, what are you most excited to do/learn?
To me, the idea of developing these recurring relationships with the people at the different markets is probably the most exciting part. I have only worked for a short amount of time and I already recognize a couple of people and they know me as well. It’s creating and maintaining these relationships where I can see how our service is impacting their lives; that makes me look forward to being a market manager.
A huge part of About Fresh’s focus is access to healthy food. Why is food important to you?
Growing up in Miami in a Latino family, food and the culture involving food is incredibly important to our identity. My parents always tried to cook a homemade meal, regardless of time or financial barriers. Food is something that can bring families together and help people understand their identity and their culture.
What’s your favorite food memory from your childhood?
Easily, my favorite food memory was New Year’s Eve when I was about 15 or 16. It was the last time the entire family was able to get together and each person brought something. We always try to have these massive get togethers for Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s with different types of food and drinks from different cultures of my family. It was definitely the best meal I ever had and I got to share it with my family.
This wouldn’t be an About Fresh interview without a fun icebreaker. So…, if you were any fruit/vegetable, what would you be and why?
In terms of any fruit or vegetable, I would be a potato because I am very versatile and like a potato, on the surface I seem very simple, but at the same time I can be very complex and interesting.
Our newest mobile market needs a name! We give each Fresh Truck vehicle a name that reflects a person, organization or value that is important to us. We need your help to pick the name for truck #4! Below are the names listed with their description. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite!
Amigo:
This name embodies what Fresh Truck’s mobile markets represent: support, reliability, unity, happiness, and respect. Amigo means friend in Spanish which is a reflection of the diversity of our community of shoppers and partners. Everyone needs a good friend in their life, especially one that brings you all your fresh favorites.
Ayanna:
Ayanna Pressley is an advocate, policy-maker, activist and survivor. She is a longtime friend of Fresh Truck since her days as a Boston City Councilor. Representing our district as a United States Congresswoman, Ayanna is a champion for the issues that impact Fresh Truck communities. In her Equity Agenda on Health care and Public Health she specifically calls out a need for equitable access to healthy food.
Mama:
At Fresh Truck we are lucky enough to know a lot of incredible mamas. Sources of strength, support and nurturing these mamas represent so much of what is important in our lives and work. When we think about what this next mobile market will mean to our communities of shoppers we hope to make our mamas proud.
Pam:
Pamela Hoyt is everywhere. She is a tireless advocate and community organizer who has been working with Fresh Truck since we started our stop at Franklin Field Apartments 4 years ago. From managing lines to organizing community events Pam drives positive change in the community. If this next bus has half the energy Pam does we will never have to worry about it being out of commission. You can see Pam featured in our ‘Life with Fresh Truck’ video.
Piña:
Piña is Spanish for Pineapple. Rough on the outside and sweet on the inside a pineapple is a great metaphor for a mobile market. Throughout history pineapples have also been symbols of friendship, hospitality and welcome. They even come with their own crown. Last year we sold 7,214 pineapples!
Blog / We are hiring for part-time market support!
We are looking for some part-time support to help us run Fresh Truck mobile markets during this busy time of year.
What you’ll do:
Work directly with a Market Manager to run a Fresh Truck market site
Create an inviting shopping experience for Fresh Truck shoppers
Manage restocking shelves, keeping the market clean, and assisting shoppers
Assist with the load and load-out process for the mobile market vehicles
Who you are
You’re willing to break a sweat and comfortable with some heavy lifting
Embrace working within diverse community settings being multilingual (Spanish, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Cantonese, Mandarin) is huge a plus
A thoughtful and friendly team member who likes working with people
Able to follow instructions to complete a task
Requirements
Ability to lift ~30lb on a regular basis
Positive attitude and willingness to learn
Compensation and Benefits
$16+ per hour
Free groceries every shift
Work day in and day out to make Boston a healthier city
To apply email your resume and a short note telling us why you’re excited about the job with the subject line “Operations Assistant” to jobs@thefreshtruck.org.
If you are looking for a full-time role we are also hiring for Market Managers check out the job here.
Blog / We are hiring for part-time market support!
Come celebrate fresh food and healthy eating at the Fresh Food Fair! Join us on July 19th at 11 AM-4 PM at the Jeremiah E. Burke High School. The event will highlight a variety of Boston community food resources. As part of food demonstrations, you will receive tasty free samples and recipe cards for fresh salads. There will be free food and other fun activities, like our collard greens competition and raffle prizes will be awarded. All are welcome, don’t miss out on the fun!
From left to right: Karla Morales, Francelino Marime and Markiesha Duverneau pose in front of 77.
This spring we welcomed three new additions to the Fresh Truck team! From mobile market operations to development, we are excited for the talent and enthusiasm they will bring to help us carry out our mission.
We are excited to have you join the Fresh Truck family. What is your role at Fresh Truck and what are excited to take on as part of the team?
Francelino: Operations Manager. I’m excited to be a part of a great and growing organization that is dedicated to helping others and making a basic human right (food) available, specifically to those who are without access.
Markiesha: As the development manager, I’m excited for a variety of tasks, but what most captures this is being able to think, use creativity and bringing fresh ideas to the table. I’m also looking forward to learning how to tell our story to different groups of people, whether it’s through speaking, visuals or anything else that can capture the ideas and impact of Fresh Truck and Fresh Connect. The last thing, which isn’t related to my role, but should be, is designing Fresh Truck inspired clothing and gifts.
Karla: Market Manager. I’m just excited to connect with people. To learn from other individuals.
A huge part of what Fresh Truck does is focused on healthy food access. Why is food important to you?
Francelino: Food is life. It is an essential part of our lives and it gives us energy and nutrition to live.
Markiesha: Similar to what Francelino mentioned, food is important to me because it’s one of the essential necessities of life. Without food in general, we would all be extinct. Without healthy food, we all would have medical issues that can be prevented. Food is also nice because it’s one of the few things I believe brings people together no matter who they are, where they come from or what they believe in.
Karla: Food has many layers to it. I find it amazing how our food choices affect our personal health, impact the planet, and define our existence. Have you ever noticed the “international” aisle in grocery stores? Another colonized commodity institutionally becoming a luxury for the financially satisfied to enjoy.
I’ve noticed how this institutionalization impacts the food choices of fellow boricuxs living in PR. Opting for boxed and frozen food items because that bunch of cilantro is $6 and those four apples are $7, when I can buy 2 boxes and 3 bags of frozen fruits/veggies for $10. Out in Guatemala, the only fresh produce available for fellow paisanxs are the produce deemed “not good enough” to ship to the U.S. Tell me, how these places so abundant in biodiversity, its civilians cannot enjoy the fruits from their own homelands? The United States seems to be keen on dividing and conquering not only its backyard, but also displacing individuals within its border.
In short, I am a huge advocate for food sovereignty. Let’s not rely on corporate food decisions. Support local farmers, purchase what’s in season, save the planet with those choices.
What’s your favorite food memory from your childhood?
Francelino: I remember my mom making this delicious meal called ‘cove’: it was a mix of collard greens, onions, tomatoes, coconut milk, and peanuts.
Markiesha: My family is really big: I have 5 siblings, parents, grandparents, a lot of aunts, uncles and cousins, so we always had huge family parties for special occasions and holidays. The table was always full of all different types of food because everyone cooked and brought the dish to the designated household that the event would be happening at. Being together in that setting was always fun and seeing how our roles changed as we get older is interesting. I now serve everyone at the parties and tend to eat last or if I’m lucky, I get the scraps, which isn’t always fun, but I don’t mind it and it ensures everyone eats and certain people are not taking everything and trying to take platters home (there’s always that one or two people that you have to hide the food from, :)).
Karla: I loved making tortillas with my mom growing up. My favorite part was creating tortillas out of its ordinary, circular shape. I’d turn them into dogs, hearts, triangles… it’s something that I still like to do with tortillas today.
This wouldn’t be a Fresh Truck interview without a fun icebreaker. So… if you were any fruit or vegetable, what would you be and why?
Francelino: I would be a banana: I have a soft center and excellent people skills, but I also have thick skin and am not put off by setbacks. I grow and develop all year round.
Markiesha: Is that even a question? 🙂 Obviously, a pineapple: I have a very tough exterior, but I’m a sweet person, a ray of joyous sunshine and I tend to surprise a lot of people. Haha. Side note: I think I may be somewhat allergic to pineapples or maybe just the core because when I eat the core (or maybe just too many slices at once), my lip starts to sting. But no worries, I eat it in moderation and don’t have it often.
Karla: A honey mango, aka an ‘ataulfo’. In my opinion, I think that they are the most delicious mango in the family. Biting into its meat is a sensation no other mango can aspire to. Sweet and succulent.
We work with a network of partners, volunteers, and supporters who are essential to the work that we do. This series of spotlights will highlight the contribution of these fantastic groups and individuals. Find out more about one of our most consistent volunteers, Michelle. Interested in volunteering with Fresh Truck? Sign up at www.freshtruck.org/volunteer.
Name: Michelle Prevost
Current residence: South Boston, MA
Occupation: Currently looking to re-enter the real world since finishing business school.
Fresh Truck volunteer since: Fall 2O18
Favorite volunteer location: Patrick J. Kennedy School in East Boston. Thanks to its proximity to delicious Colombian food around the corner!
I volunteer with Fresh Truck because: I love helping in some small way to address the huge challenge that is food access in Boston, and helping in a larger way to address the huge challenge that is stocking fresh produce properly on a small school bus.
My favorite Fresh Truck memory is: Finally learning what ingredients make up a proper sofrito (thanks Vicky!) – all of which can be found on the truck.
My favorite fruit or vegetable is: Is garlic a vegetable?
Anything else to add: Hats off to the Market Managers, who facilitate an incredibly fun and meaningful volunteer experience!
In January we said goodbye to Diane, our first ever Mobile Market, and sent her off to a well-deserved retirement. We bought Diane back in 2O13 with funds from a Kickstarter campaignand a generous donation by Building Restoration Serviceswho volunteered their services to do the retrofitting. From there, Fresh Truck launched and started providing fresh food across Boston!
Diane was named in honor of one of our very first shoppers, who lived at the Hearth at Olmsted Green in Dorchester. Diane was a mentor to everyone in her community with her advocacy and knowledge of nutrition and food as medicine. She was an early inspiration to the Fresh Truck as we refined our mission and our programming.
In the five years that Diane (the truck) was on the roads, she ran 2,OOO weekly markets and pop-ups and sold 2OO,OOO bananas. We’re going to miss her around here and wish her a relaxing retirement!
Diane featured our original logo
She got a makeover
Diane occasionally had mechanical issues…
But, she handled everything that Boston’s weather threw at her
Most importantly, she provided fresh fruits and veggies to thousands of satisfied customers!
January 2O19 was a record month for Fresh Truck. We served over 2,5OO shoppers selling over $72,OOO of healthy, affordable food. Sales numbers like this are representative of a lot of factors last month that resulted in households looking to Fresh Truck to help put good food in the fridge and on the table. While high numbers are generally seen as positive, it’s important to look into the reasons why a particularly high number of shoppers took advantage of Fresh Truck in their community. As a social enterprise, we often see external factors make an impact on our programs. January 2O19 was the perfect storm of circumstances that led to an increased need for Fresh Truck’s services.
Winter can be a difficult time for low-income households negotiating expenses for higher heating bills, more difficult transportation, and warm clothing. This means that more families rely on critical programs like SNAP (Food Stamps), to stretch their budget further and cover these higher costs. Thanks to the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), Massachusetts SNAP recipients are able to buy extra fresh fruits and veggies from Fresh Truck and farmers’ markets. In the winter, there are very few farmers’ markets in Boston, so Fresh Truck becomes one of the only retailers where shoppers can spend their HIP dollars. Thanks in part to HIP, we have grown our reach more than 2OO% since 2O16 and thousands of low-income households have been able to enjoy fresh, healthy food. After seeing the success of incentive programs like HIP, we are particularly excited about the launch of our internal FreshConnect food prescription program.
This January, the cold weather and HIP were not the only reasons so many people shopped on our trucks. Many shoppers were also affected by the federal government shutdown. As the shutdown continued on for over a month with little sign of a solution, the future of the SNAP program was unclear. Nearly 9O% of Fresh Truck shoppers rely on SNAP, and they had no guarantee they would receive their benefits for the coming months. On top of the uncertainty, due to the shutdown, all SNAP recipients received their February benefits as much as three weeks earlier than usual, requiring them to ration out their benefits over a nearly two-month span.
Over the past month, individuals and organizations alike have faced difficult circumstances and an uncertain future. Fortunately, a network of food access organizations came together to ensure that no one slipped through the cracks. Whether it was Project Bread distributing essential SNAP information to residents, Community Servingsproviding free meals for federal workers and their families, or the Greater Boston Food Bank providing emergency food for people across the state, organizations have jumped into action to combat challenges during these unprecedented times.
In 2O19, Fresh Truck is expanding on a powerful new program to help us become more impactful, innovative, and sustainable. We call it FreshConnect. FreshConnect makes it possible for healthcare providers and other organizations invested in the health of communities to prescribe food as medicine. FreshConnect activates our Mobile Markets as food pharmacies, and we are generating data-driven insight into nutrition and health that can guide patient care. By creating a system for healthy food prescriptions, Fresh Truck is working to reduce the cost of fresh food for patients, make a direct connection between food and health, and improve the health of the Boston community.
To take FreshConnect to the next level, we’re bringing on Michael Lantow as our FreshConnect Program Director. Michael brings with him experience in food programming and healthcare innovation. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with healthcare providers to offer patients with healthy, affordable food. As someone who has a chronic disease, I intimately know the frustrations of searching for foods that make my body feel great while functioning to its full potential. I am committed to easing this experience for others.”
Foundations, corporate sponsors, donors, and healthcare institutions contribute to the FreshConnect Fund to cover the cost of food for their community of people. Our implementation partners enroll households who receive a smart FreshConnect card based on their financial and health needs. Shoppers use these cards on a weekly basis to buy healthy food from any of our mobile market sites. Our point-of-sale system tracks shopper data which stakeholders use to measure key health indicators among their community of FreshConnect shoppers.
Interested in getting involved in FreshConnect? Contact Michael Lantow at michael@thefreshtruck.org or (857) 256-0560.
Over the past five years, Fresh Truck has grown and evolved to best serve the needs of our communities. Today, thousands of households count on Fresh Truck as a reliable source of fresh, affordable, healthy food.
As we look back on 2O18, we’re excited to share our first ever Annual Report. Check out what we have been up to this past year, and get a glimpse of what we have in store for 2O19!
We have big plans for the future of food here in Boston, and we’d love to have you on board! Your support helps us reach more families with more fresh, affordable, and nutritious food all year round. We’re grapeful for your support! 🍇
