The Veggie Mobile
The Veggie Mobile is a produce aisle on wheels, run out of a box truck, with refrigerators and shelves displaying fruits and vegetables for sale. This green grocer increases the availability of affordable fresh produce for inner-city residents that live in urban "food deserts" where there are no grocery stores.
About You
Section 1: You
First Name
Sarah
Last Name
Gordon
Website URL
Organization
Capital District Community Gardens
Country
United States, NY
Section 2: Your Organization
Organization Name
Capital District Community Gardens
Organization Website
Organization Phone
518-274-8685
Organization Address
40 River Street, Troy, NY 12180
Is your organization a
Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization
Organization Country
United States, NY
Your idea
Name Your Project
The Veggie Mobile
Country and state your work focuses on
United States, NY
Describe Your Idea
The Veggie Mobile is a produce aisle on wheels, run out of a box truck, with refrigerators and shelves displaying fruits and vegetables for sale. This green grocer increases the availability of affordable fresh produce for inner-city residents that live in urban "food deserts" where there are no grocery stores.
Website URL
Innovation
What makes your idea unique?
The Veggie Mobile is an innovative program that increases the availability of affordable fresh produce for low-income and senior-assisted living communities throughout New York’s Capital Region. Our work is concentrated in urban neighborhoods where the nearest grocery stores are more than four miles away, residents lack easy transportation, and access to affordable fresh produce is severely limited. In many cases, residents in these neighborhoods purchase their groceries from local convenience stores that do not stock fresh produce. The Veggie Mobile sets up shop in targeted inner-city neighborhoods at pre-determined locations for weekly stops all year long, helping a vulnerable population that suffers the health consequences of a diet of heavily-processed and convenience foods by facilitating their consumption of more fresh healthy foods. The Veggie Mobile offers more than 100 different fruits and vegetables for sale, including a large percentage of locally grown produce during the growing season. The atmosphere is fun and inviting- the truck plays lively music over its loudspeaker system, staff assist customers in and out of the truck, and produce is available to taste before purchasing. We currently have a total of 15 weekly market stops in underserved neighborhoods of Albany, Schenectady, Troy and Rensselaer that sell fresh affordable produce. Additionally, we are currently adding five new stops at inner-city schools, daycare centers, a YMCA and a clinic for young mothers. The Veggie Mobile is the only program in the Capital Region that provides inner-city families and seniors in need with easy access to affordable fresh produce.
Do you have a patent for this idea?
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
What impact have you had?
The Veggie Mobile has met with tremendous success since its launch in the Spring of 2007. We have sold more than 155,000 pounds of food to inner-city residents, and served more than 25,000 individual customers each year that share the food they purchase with their families. Customer’s rave about The Veggie Mobile, and our phone is constantly ringing with requests to establish additional sales locations. Some of our regular customers even look noticeably healthier (and happier) than they did when they first began shopping with us. For example, one of our customers has lost 70 lbs since she began shopping with us a year ago and is so excited about The Veggie Mobile, and Capital District Community Gardens' other programs, that she has become an active volunteer and a member of one of our community gardens. In addition to offering affordable produce, The Veggie Mobile educates shoppers about things they may have never tried before, and provides recipes for fruit and vegetable dishes. Each week, Veggie Mobile staff members cook up a yummy treat to introduce shoppers to fruits and vegetables they have never tried before as part of the Taste and Take program. Featured items have included kale, bok choy, beets, asparagus, mangos, kiwis and zucchini. Taste and Take has exposed nearly 16,000 shoppers to fresh produce they new nothing about, and provided recipes so that customers can replicate the experience, and share their new nutritional know-how at home. The Veggie Mobile has created a model that people around the country are looking to replicate.
Problem
In a 2002 survey, CDCG found that none of the neighborhoods now served by The Veggie Mobile had access to a full-service supermarket where fresh produce was sold. Furthermore, very few local convenience stores stocked fresh produce available for sale. When produce is available in a convenience store setting, the selection is limited, organics are not available, and prices run approximately 245% higher than better quality items sold at the supermarket. This is still true in 2010. More often than not, customers will opt to buy less expensive, less nutritious, higher calorie, and more heavily processed foods to satisfy their daily calorie needs. Our mobile green grocer is the only outlet in these neighborhoods offering low-cost, high-quality produce on a regular basis.
Actions
CDCG is working hard to serve as many Veggie Mobile customers as possible. We constantly receive requests for additional market locations; CDCG would love nothing more than to launch a second Veggie Mobile. However, given the limited financial and staff resources at our disposal, the capacity for our Veggie Mobile has hit its upper limit. The main costs associated with operating The Veggie Mobile are personnel and travel. The scale at which program currently exists is financially sustainable, but it would take a considerable investment to expand the program. CDCG has a grant writer on staff that is constantly on the prowl for opportunities to expand the scale of our Veggie Mobile program. Additionally, The Veggie Mobile has made a significant impression on the community, local funders, state agencies, and the State Commissioners of Health and Agriculture. Our partners and supporters will be instrumental in expanding the Veggie Mobile program.
Results
CDCG is pursuing grant funding to expand The Veggie Mobile service and launch a pedal-powered produce cart, Veggie Mobile “Lite”, to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables in high need areas of the City of Troy, CDCG’s hometown. The operating costs of Veggie Mobile “Lite” are much less than those of The Veggie Mobile: a motorized bicycle cart would require far less fuel, and only one operator. Veggie Mobile “Lite” will take over smaller Veggie Mobile stops in Troy, and expand service stops to new locations. This will increase CDCG’s capacity to serve more neighborhoods in Troy, free up Veggie Mobile resources so that service can be expanded in Albany, Rensselaer and Schenectady, and increase the efficiency and reach of The Veggie Mobile program.
What will it take for your project to be successful over the next three years? Please address each year separately, if possible.
To expand the capability of The Veggie Mobile to meet local nutrition needs, CDCG must pursue funding, maintain and increase its staff including our AmeriCorps Volunteers In Service To America (VISTAs), and keep in touch with constituent communities’ needs for additional services. In the next year, CDCG will expand its funding base through private and government grants to launch Veggie Mobile “Lite”. CDCG’s grant writer is constantly meeting with program staff to flesh out program innovations and goals, researching new grant opportunities, developing relationships with potential funders, and writing grant applications. Once funding is finalized, first steps to launch the Veggie Mobile “Lite” will include hiring the bicycle cart operator, training the operator for three months on The Veggie Mobile, purchasing equipment, acquiring licenses for food sales, and developing sales plans. Following the preparation phase, the Veggie Mobile “Lite” will hit the road in Spring 2011.
In the following years, Veggie Mobile “Lite” will free up Veggie Mobile resources so stops can be added in the rest of our service area. Furthermore, using Veggie Mobile “Lite” as a moving billboard for all of CDCG’s whole food messages will increase the brand recognition and notoriety for Veggie Mobile programs. In the year following the launch of Veggie Mobile “Lite”, CDCG will evaluate the remaining demand for additional Veggie Mobile stops. Our grant writer will continue pursuing funding to appropriately scale the program, and a potentially launch a second full-size Veggie Mobile to serve additional locations. In the Spring of 2013, CDCG plans to expand services to satisfy the demand of the high-need neighborhoods in Albany, Schenectady and Rensselaer Counties. This will involve additional sales planning, hiring new staff, expanding our VISTA workforce, purchasing and modifying a new vehicle, and public relations to spread the word about our expanding services.
What would prevent your project from being a success?
While the current scale of The Veggie Mobile program has reached a point of financial sustainability, it is of utmost importance that CDCG continue to pursue grant funding to expand its services and adequately serve the nutritional needs of the underserved communities in the Capital Region. A lack of funding would prevent The Veggie Mobile from reaching its goals. Additionally, CDCG currently depends on the hard work of four AmeriCorps VISTAs to assist in operating and promoting The Veggie Mobile. CDCG’s relationship with the AmeriCorps VISTA program provides Veggie Mobile staff at an unbeatable low cost, while also exposing young volunteers to the operations of a unique and innovative organization. Maintaining this vital relationship is integral to preserving the financial viability and sustainability of The Veggie Mobile program.
How many people will your project serve annually?
More than 10,000
What is the average monthly household income in your target community, in US Dollars?
$100 ‐ 1000
Does your project seek to have an impact on public policy?
Sustainability
What stage is your project in?
Operating for 1‐5 years
In what country?
United States, NY
Is your initiative connected to an established organization?
Yes
If yes, provide organization name.
Capital District Community Gardens
How long has this organization been operating?
More than 5 years
Does your organization have a Board of Directors or an Advisory Board?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with NGOs?
Yes
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with businesses?
No
Does your organization have any non-monetary partnerships with government?
Yes
Please tell us more about how these partnerships are critical to the success of your innovation.
CDCG works closely with local NGO’s to foster synergy amongst local efforts aimed at improving nutrition amongst low-income and senior residents of the Capital Region. For example, CDCG coordinates with the local housing authorities to establish sales locations for The Veggie Mobile to serve low-income housing facilities’ residents. Additionally, CDCG’s Executive Director is also a Co-Chair of the Capital Region Healthy Communities Coalition, and works with the Coalition to identify local health priorities and needs. Lastly, CDCG is working with the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets to make arrangements to accept Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) vouchers for goods from The Veggie Mobile.
What are the three most important actions needed to grow your initiative or organization?
The most important actions that CDCG must concentrate on to grow The Veggie Mobile program are: 1) Expanding our funding base; 2) Adding Veggie Mobile “Lite”; and 3) Adding another Veggie Mobile to meet local nutrition needs. The Veggie Mobile program has become hugely successful, popular, and recognizable amongst local public decision makers, grant-making foundations, news media, and most of all, underserved low-income and senior inner-city residents. As a result, there is an incredible demand for The Veggie Mobile to fill the niche that has been left empty by local corporate grocers and food distributors. Expanding the program’s funding base and adding the Veggie Mobile “Lite” to expand the program would complete a crucial first step towards expanding our services to meet the tremendous demand for increased produce purchasing options. Furthermore, following the implementation of the Veggie Mobile “Lite”, and evaluation of the service it provides, it is of utmost importance that CDCG assess how well it is satisfying the demand of local communities in need of nutritional assistance. The ultimate goal of CDCG is to improve produce purchasing opportunities and personal health for every individual, family, and senior citizen in the Capital Region’s urban neighborhoods that lacks access to a full service supermarket that sells fresh, healthy produce. This may occur by launching a second full-size Veggie Mobile, or another Veggie Mobile delivery mechanism that meets the needed scale as identified by the program evaluation process. It is CDCG’s belief that access to healthy foods should not be a luxury available to only those that have the means to access transportation and suburban supermarkets. Inner-city “food desert” residents deserve to be able to properly nourish themselves, and their families. CDCG is doing everything in its power to make this right a reality.
The Story
What was the defining moment that led you to this innovation?
Capital District Community Gardens’ mission is to connect inner city residents in New York State’s Capital Region to healthy, local food sources. In 2002, Amy Klein, Executive Director read about a revolutionary mobile grocery market serving Oakland, CA and thought it would be a perfect idea to build upon in the Capital Region. She realized the incredible impact CDCG’s community gardens had on neighborhoods and people’s diets, and asked herself, “What about the people who are not gardeners but still need access to affordable fresh food?”
CDCG realizes that not all people living in the inner city can, or will, grow their own food in gardens. However, this does not mean that some people are more deserving of access to health-enhancing foods than others. CDCG continues to expand its services to its greatest capacity, and serve our area’s neediest residents to ensure that they have convenient access to fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables.
CDCG staff wrote a grant to the New York Department of Health which was funded in 2006. The grant supplied the program with the money needed to hire staff, put together the sales plan, and create The Veggie Mobile. Additionally, CDCG raised approximately $60,000 for the vehicle which serves as the mobile produce market, and the necessary modifications, to put The Veggie Mobile on the road.
The Veggie Mobile is a brightly colored “green machine” that attracts shoppers with its creative exterior, sporting a logo designed by local artists featuring an explosion of fruits and vegetables. The Veggie Mobile runs on biodiesel and has solar panels fitted on its roof. It is also equipped with a sound system playing lively and fun music over its loudspeakers, and letting neighborhood residents know The Veggie Mobile is open and ready for business.
Tell us about the social innovator behind this idea.
Executive Director, Amy Klein, has had more than 25 years experience in nonprofit management and has been successfully leading CDCG for 14 years. Ms. Klein has a bachelor’s degree in Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics & Government from American University and has overseen the launch of CDCG’s many major initiatives including, The Veggie Mobile in 2007. Under her leadership, the organization’s budget has increased from $66,000 to over $800,000, the number of staff has grown from 2 to 18, and the number of gardens from 13 to 47. In addition to expanding the capacity and services of our regional community gardens, new program initiatives led by Ms. Klein have also included The Produce Project, Squash Hunger, and The Tastes Good Series. (For more information please visit www.cdcg.org). Ms. Klein has a vast network of contacts through her work promoting health and well-being in the Capital Region; she founded and co-chairs the Capital Region Healthy Communities Coalition to promote collaboration amongst grassroots organizations working on chronic disease prevention issues. She participates in the Strategic Alliances for Health in Albany and Schenectady Counties, and the Rensselaer County Healthy Communities Initiative, serving alongside respective county executives, mayors, non-profit leaders and business executives. Ms. Klein is also active with local neighborhood associations, and is well networked with parish nurses and other grassroots community leaders. Additionally, Ms. Klein is a longstanding member of Historic Troy 2020, serving alongside Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino, Troy Mayor Harry Tutunjian, Rensselaer County Chamber of Commerce President Linda Hillman and numerous other business and nonprofit leaders. Notably, this year, Ms. Klein was voted one of “A Dozen That Make A Difference” in the Capital Region by the Albany-based newspaper, The Times Union.
How did you first hear about Changemakers?
Newsletter from Changemakers
If through another, please provide the name of the organization or company
50 words or fewer
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 | 109 weeks agolaura whalen updated this Competition Entry. |
| 109 weeks agolaura whalen updated this Competition Entry. |
| 109 weeks agolaura whalen updated this Competition Entry. |
| 109 weeks agolaura whalen updated this Competition Entry. |
| 109 weeks agolaura whalen submitted this idea. |
