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Binghamton (WIVT) – CHOW is taking produce directly to areas where it’s hard to find.
The Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse bus is now on the road four days a week visiting “food deserts,” such as downtown Binghamton and outlying rural towns.
Earlier this month, it was outside the Broome County Public Library on Court Street.
In a departure from past practice, most of the food is sold rather than given away for free.
Organizers said this provides people in low-income areas a dignified means of purchasing affordable fruits and vegetables.
“There’s really no place in the near area to get fresh produce. The closest grocery store for a lot of people is a gas station. We’re trying to provide these people with healthy food to supplement what else they might have at home,” said Laura Livengood, an AmeriCorps Service Member.
Proceeds from the sales are used to fund free lunches for disadvantaged kids during the summer and holidays.
The bus also gives away some food that it receives as donations from local farmers and bakeries.