TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa YMCA sends out a 'Veggie Van' to 7 areas around the city to make sure everyone has access to affordable, fresh produce.
"Nowadays, the prices of everything have gone up and when you go to the grocery store, for me, I'm counting pennies to make sure I have enough to buy what I need," said Mary Trotman.
Trotman has been getting fresh produce from the Veggie Van for several years now. The bag of goodies costs just $1.
"I think it's nice and convenient for the seniors and all," said Trotman.
The Veggie Van visits seven different neighborhoods around Tampa where it's hard to find fresh fruits and vegetables.
Elizabeth Roman is the Mobile Food Director for the Tampa YMCA.
"So in these neighborhoods, there are no supermarkets and the families purchase produce in corner stores and we know that corner stores, if they do have any healthy items, they're not the freshest and the prices are higher."
The Tampa YMCA runs the Veggie Van with the help of sponsors like Publix and Bank of America.
Most recently, it added a stop with the help of a $10,000 grant from Tampa General Hospital.
Roman said on the first day, 90 bags of produce were handed out in less than an hour.
"The families are very appreciative of the support. They just feel like it helps them stretch their dollars and helps them cover all the needs that the family has and they don't have to worry about purchasing healthy fruits and vegetables for their children."
Trotman looks forward to picking up her pack of produce and has even learned new recipes using the fruit and veggies. "It helped me plenty."
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