Partnering to feed communities in need
Cummins Advocating for Racial Equity (CARE) and Indianapolis community partners take action to deliver the Fresh For You Market on Wheels
Fighting hunger and ensuring food access is a major challenge in many communities throughout the United States. According to Feeding America, 1 in 8 Americans face food insecurity and 13 million are children. The United States Food and Drug Administration states that nearly 20% of Black Americans live in food deserts, areas where people have very limited access to healthy, affordable foods. Cummins Advocating for Racial Equity (CARE) has partnered with local healthcare provider, Eskenazi Health Foundation, and Indianapolis community partners to bring fresh and healthy food options to the food deserts in Indianapolis through the Fresh For You Market on Wheels program.
“The mission of Cummins is to make people’s lives better by powering a more prosperous world, and our CARE commitment embodies that mission through its outreach and areas of focus,” says Jennifer Rumsey, Cummins Inc. Chair and CEO. “One of the things I am most proud about is our commitment to the communities we serve, and not just through financial investments. Our employees go into the communities we serve and meet the needs of the community where they are. The Fresh For You Market on Wheels is another example of our commitment to action.”
Supporting the need
The Fresh For You Market (FFYM) on Wheels program is a component of Eskenazi Health Foundation’s system-wide strategy to address the underlying social factors affecting the health of our most vulnerable neighbors. After initial start-up support from Eskenazi Health, Cummins was the first private organization to express belief in this mission by making a philanthropic gift, which gave Eskenazi the ability to raise the additional resources needed to start FFYM on Wheels. Other contributors include Indiana Department of Health-Snap ED, United States Department of Agriculture, Kroger Company Foundation, City of Indianapolis – Office of Public Health and Safety, and IndyGo.
“The Fresh For You Market on Wheels is the latest partnership CARE has formed to support access to fresh foods within food deserts in our CARE communities of focus,” says Tonya Sisco, Executive Director, Corporate Responsibility - Racial Equity. “Food inequity is a major issue in many of our Black and marginalized communities. One of our CARE areas of focus is Social Justice and doing our part to address food insecurity aligns directly with our commitment to create more equitable and inclusive communities.”
Accessibility and knowledge made convenient
The FFYM on Wheels is a customized reimagined former Indianapolis public transit bus, powered by none other than a Cummins engine. The 40-foot-bus has been innovatively transformed and upon stepping inside, you will find a one aisle grocery with coolers and freezers filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, health snacks, and canned and boxed goods. The bus is also equipped with a kitchen where an on-board chef prepares hot, made-to-order food.
The outside of the bus has a large monitor to display cooking demonstrations and healthy eating tips on how to utilize food items found on the bus. There is also a retractable awning, providing a place to gather and eat. The market will travel on a regular schedule to four different neighborhoods weekly, including Martindale Brightwood.
Just as important as access to healthy food is the knowledge of how to work with that food in a long-term sustainable manner. The Eskenazi Health Lifestyle Health & Wellness Team will also facilitate on-site nutritional education programs and cooking classes, enabling participants to make healthy meals at home, bridging the gap between nutrition education and food access. This is crucial to empowering residents to take control of their personal health and the health of their families.
Added benefits recognized
Amanda Bowman, Indianapolis resident and Eskenazi Health patient shares her experience: “The Fresh For You Market on Wheels is not only accessible, it is affordable. I was given vouchers to purchase the food I needed. The affordability of the Fresh For You Market on Wheels allows me to spend over the voucher limit at times when necessary. Additionally, the vouchers help me meet other basic needs such as paying for housing and utilities. The Fresh For Your Market on Wheels program has helped ease many stressors I have and continue to face throughout my cancer treatment.”
Knowing that health and poverty are inextricably linked and that transforming both requires solving the social problems that impact wellbeing, this initiative is about the power of local collaboration. These partnerships and their efforts will ensure healthier, longer lives for the Indianapolis community. The FFYM on Wheels program specifically tackles two major ‘social determinants of health’ – access to nutritious food and access to healthcare – while also serving to screen for other needs and connect appropriate resources.
“CARE is proud to be part of these important efforts by Eskenazi Health, our community partners and all involved as we work to better the lives of those in our community,” says Sisco.
Cummins Inc.
Cummins, a global power technology leader, is a corporation of complementary business segments that design, manufacture, distribute and service a broad portfolio of power solutions. The company’s products range from internal combustion, electric and hybrid integrated power solutions and components including filtration, aftertreatment, turbochargers, fuel systems, controls systems, air handling systems, automated transmissions, electric power generation systems, microgrid controls, batteries, electrolyzers and fuel cell products.
