GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Inside the business offices of the Mary Free Bed YMCA, several volunteers gathered Friday morning. They moved methodically, putting apples, carrots, lemons, and potatoes into blue canvas bags. By Saturday, those bags will be in the hands of people who need fresh, healthy food.
Earlier this week, government numbers came out, showing that consumer prices rose 3.4% in April compared to last year. It's getting harder and harder for families to afford food. Belisa Melton knows the feeling.
"I grew up in the Grandville Avenue community, and growing up, I lived in poverty. I didn't know it as a little kid. You don't know until you get older and you realize it," said Melton, who serves as the community collaboration director for the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids.
"I can recall times where my mom and I would go to food pantries, and we didn't know we were getting food there because we were in need. And in reality, that was a game changer for my family."
Belisa is hoping the Veggie Van can be a game changer for people experiencing hunger in West Michigan. The Veggie Van is a partnership program between the YMCA and Corewell Health. It's a mobile farmers market offering fresh fruit and vegetables to people, for free, with no questions asked.
"We do that in 13 different counties across Michigan. In selecting where to go, we thoughtfully think about communities where need is the greatest. There's a lot of purposeful thought that's placed into the locations where we where we show up," said Melissa Kamara Liggins, who serves as the senior director of community affairs at Corewell.
The Veggie Van serves a variety of communities, urban and rural.
"We are literally giving them fresh fruit and produce with health tips in the bag, and recipes in the bag as to how they can incorporate that fresh fruit and produce into the meal that they may put on their table later that day," Kamara Liggins said.
The emphasis on providing healthy food is something that's important to both Corewell and the YMCA.
"It's hard to be healthy and to exhibit healthy behaviors, when you don't have easy access to the things that help support health and healthy lifestyles," Kamara Liggins said.
"Corewell Health is dreaming of a future where healthcare is simple, it's equitable, it's affordable, it's exceptional. And in order to do that, you need to create access to things that improve health and support health, like healthy fruits and vegetables."
Angelica Velasquez owns La Casa de la Cobija, a store on Division Avenue that will host the Veggie Van from noon to 1 p.m. on June 21. The van has been stopping there since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and Velasquez says she can see the difference it has made among people in her community.
"You can see the happiness in people when we have the event over there. You can see the happiness when the families get their bags. We have a wonderful community. It’s so compassionate. It's like a family. That’s my family. That's what it is," Velasquez said.
The food that was packed on Friday morning will be given out on Saturday at the Montcalm Area Career Center in Sidney where they'll be hosting family day. For a full Veggie Van schedule, you can visit the YMCA's website. If you'd like to volunteer, you can email activate@grymca.org or call 616-885-5912.
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