The sight of food truck means convenience in buying food. Food trucks give customers the satisfaction of being able to buy their favorite food almost anywhere. We found a different kind of food truck. They do deliver food as well, but for free.
Knoxville Dream Center is using their food trucks not to sell food but to bring food to the food deserts. According to a report, "Food deserts are areas within cities that need assistance getting food but do not have the means to travel and get food themselves. There are 20 food deserts in the Knox County."
The American Nutrition Association also defined food desert "Food deserts are defined as parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas. This is largely due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers' markets, and healthy food providers."
Knoxville Dream Center said they are committed to helping deliver food to low-income families. Aside from lending their food trucks to deliver free food they have a lot of programs to help the needy. They have donation drives, adopt a family, foster care intervention and volunteerism.
But their main goal is to help distribute free food to the food deserts "It may be a little ambitious, but we'd like to have a footprint in every food desert," said Ross Jones, the Director of Operations for the Knoxville Dream Center in an interview with WBIR.Com. WBIR also explained that "Food truck visits are similar to a trip to the grocery store. The truck full of fresh produce, non-perishable food items, and bread is unloaded onto a table".
Knoxville Dream Center is still looking for donations and volunteers and interested individuals can reach them here.
The government with the help of USDA has projects to also help those who are in food deserts.
