On Friday, August 7th, Community Food Initiatives (CFI) will host the grand opening of the Veggie Van from 3:30-5:30pm at Glouster Memorial Park in Glouster, Ohio. There will be a rich variety of delicious locally-grown produce available to take home. The Veggie Van follows Athens County health and safety guidelines, so please wear a mask and practice social distancing.

The Veggie Van is a donation-based mobile market that will carry locally-grown fruits and veggies 10 months out of the year, offering high-quality produce in exchange for any level of donation. All produce left at the end of the day will be distributed to food pantry partners, and all donations will support food purchases. The Veggie Van is open to everyone; patrons are encouraged to take what they need and give what they can.

The Veggie Van is a project of CFI’s Donation Station in collaboration with Athens’ Creating Healthy Communities Coalition with support from the University of Buffalo. University of Buffalo is conducting a study on mobile markets to determine the impact that increased access to fresh fruits and veggies has on wellness.