West Side Campaign Against Hunger (WSCAH), which is located in the basement level of the Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew (263 West 86th Street) recently got a new truck to deliver their services for people who need them more uptown. For those unfamiliar with WSCAH, they run a supermarket-style food pantry to alleviate hunger. Since 1993, WSCAH has used a customer-choice, supermarket style food pantry. The campaign feels it is important to “respect [their] clients by letting them choose the food they need for themselves and their families.”
They have run a pantry for nearly 40 years on West 86th Street but noticed that many of their clients were aging and experienced mobility issues. To alleviate this issue, the WSCAH can now welcome the Mobile Market! The Mobile Market truck is 32-foot long and inside has customized shelving and refrigeration. It supplies both dry goods and fresh fruits and vegetables. The District 6 Community, served by Council Member Helen Rosenthal, voted to fund the vehicle for WSCAH.
You have heard us talk about our new Mobile Market, but do you know how we use it to serve hungry New Yorkers?Since its launch in October 2017, our Mobile Market has served over 2,500 new households. Its shelves always include fresh produce, and the program offers connections to benefits and other community resources to bring our customers closer to self-sustainability. Offering a variety of choices via our supermarket-style model, our Mobile Market is the latest innovative way that we are serving our community with dignity.
Posted by West Side Campaign Against Hunger on Monday, July 9, 2018
At the WSCAH Pantry on West 86th street, the agency also provides social services such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and information about health insurance. There will be a counselor on board the Mobile Market to provide similar social services to customers.
The West Side Campaign Against Hunger states that “between 1993 and 2013, [they] have been able to increase food distribution by 747%, reduce costs per meal from 80 cents to 55 cents, and improve food quality with fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmers’ markets and organic farms.”
For those interested in getting involved, WSCAH is always looking for volunteers! If interested, check out https://www.wscah.org/volunteer/ to learn more.
