MEND’s Green Bean mobile food pantry made its official debut at a Healthy Kids Day event at the East Orange YMCA on Saturday, May 12, to the delight of dozens of people who stopped by to pick up grocery bags filled with fresh produce.

Impossible to miss, the big green bus — decaled with a colorful explosion of playful fruit and veggie icons – led visitors to a canopied table set up behind the back door, where they could grab a bag of healthy food that included zucchini, potatoes, onions, mangos, oranges and bananas. The Junior League of the Oranges and Short Hills purchased and packed the 80 bags of produce, culminating a year-long effort of helping to transform the former school bus into MEND’s new mobile food pantry.

Ajah Baldwin knew exactly what she wanted to do with her food. “I’m going to eat the orange on the way home,” she said. “Then I’m going to bake the potato and cut up the veggies and make a stir-fry.” East Orange resident Olivia Brown was also looking forward to cooking her food. She noted the high cost of buying produce in the supermarket, adding, “This is much better. And it comes straight from the earth!”

The Green Bean’s appearance at the East Orange Y is helping to fulfill MEND’s goal of bringing fresh and healthy food to all people, especially the 20% of the Essex County population that is not always sure where their next meal is coming from. In addition to acting as a moving advertisement of the need for hunger relief in Essex County, the Green Bean offers a multitude of ways for MEND to get creative in delivering fresh food.

Executive Director Robin Peacock envisions using the Green Bean to generate excitement for “stuff the bean” food drives, as well as to deliver fresh produce from NJ farms and the Community FoodBank of NJ to the 17 food pantries in MEND’s hunger relief network, and at community events. The bus can also bring healthy food to kids participating in summer food programs, and help to alleviate some of the logistical burdens pantries face in purchasing, storing and transporting produce themselves. “The Green Bean is a central part of our plan to increase access to good food,” Peacock said.

Participants in the East Orange Y’s Healthy Kids Day – including East Orange Mayor Ted R. Green and other local city officials – were excited to participate in the launch of The Green Bean, and are looking forward to seeing it distribute more fresh and healthy food throughout Essex County.

 

Watch a video of the school bus conversion and launch!