There is a new type of bus driving around our children’s neighborhoods. But this isn't your local yellow school bus summoning the kids to school each morning. Rather, this innovative bus is delivering much more to our youth that just a mode of transportation: it’s giving them a fresh, balanced diet-fresh off of the local farm.
Behind the register (and the wheel) is Mark Lilly, former restaurant manager who thought up and acted on the idea of delivering fresh farm goods to impoverished city areas.
Inspired from tending to his mother’s kitchen garden while she traveled overseas, Lilly had his “eureka moment” in June 2009, when he witnessed an informative and motivational documentary regarding the hazards of industrial food production, known as Food, Inc. Immediately upon viewing the piece, Lilly thought of all the ways he could make a difference in people’s lives. His dream has now materialized into a $3,600 school bus. And the rest is history.
Lilly remade the vehicle, using reclaimed barn wood and burlap, into a moving farmer’s market; but one that would help those most in need. Lilly now spends his days driving up and down interstate 95 visiting urban neighborhoods of Richmond, Virginia where nearly 4,000 families live more than a mile from a grocery store and often don't have access to a vehicle to get there.
According to a USDA survey, these barren urban areas, also known as “food deserts,” affect about twenty three million Americans; of these, nearly seven million are children. Not only is it hard to get to the store, affording nutrient-rich foods that are freshly grown off the farm are far too expensive for these families to afford.
So, how does this former restaurant manager turned charitable care-giver afford to donate such organic delicacies? Along with the money he acquires from selling his produce in more affluent neighborhoods, Lilly molded partnerships with many farmers who share the same views as he.
Eating the best produce and following a healthy nutritious diet shouldn't be exclusive to certain sectors within society. Now, with Lilly and his frequent bus stops, many people have the option to eat like kings, without necessarily spending like them. Lilly is showing another side to the benefits of this modern-day “meals on wheels.” Have YOU helped save the world today?
For more information, visit: people.com
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