The Junior League of Binghamton and the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse are asking the community to help bring an idea to life by supporting their collaborative plan to bring hot meals to residents throughout the Southern Tier in the form of a mobile kitchen and eatery.
It started with a question: If food assistance exists in our community, why are there so many people still struggling to access it?
The 2023 Broome County Food Council community survey found transportation is a huge barrier when it comes to food access. After assisting with the community survey, members from the Junior League of Binghamton discussed how to get food to people during one of their service-learning meetings.
Food that is near expiration or otherwise discarded will be turned into to-go meals. CHOW Director Les Aylesworth said the similarities meshed well with the already established Making Abundant Nourishment Neighborhood Accessible program, which reduces food waste by taking groceries that would be discarded or near expiration and transforming them into delicious “restaurant quality” ready-to-eat meals for food-insecure residents.
The idea for the mobile food truck was introduced to Aylesworth back in 2023, by sharing resources and expertise he believes the project can be expedited to get the food to people who lack the resources and mobility.
The finished product will be given to CHOW to run and maintain alongside MANNA — the funding for the project falls on the Junior League of Binghamton and CHOW will handle everyday operations.
“I think this project shows what can happen when people come together to tackle a common problem and at the same time bring innovative, out-of-the-box ideas to the table in the spirit of cooperation,” Aylesworth said during his opening remarks at the press conference for the program, held at the SUNY Broome Culinary and Event Center.
Since launching MANNA last July, Scott Bombard, director and executive chef, has created over 50,000 “nutritious and chef-inspired” meals for Broome County residents. As CHOW continues to expand its services, Bombard said, “one thing has become increasingly clear. There’s still too many people who face barriers with accessing nutritious food services.”
Once the mobile kitchen is up and running, it will travel five days a week to rural and underserved communities to extend MANNA’s mission by removing the burden of transportation and taking prepared meals to the people who need it directly.
“The impact goes beyond food. Every stop will be an opportunity to connect people to resources and build relationships to strengthen community ties,” Bombard said.
Residents who utilize emergency shelter are often put into hotels that are not equipped with a kitchen or the necessary supplies to cook a healthy meal, Aylesworth said.
“They might be able to go to a pantry, but what do they do with the food?”
It’s still early in the planning process, but Mobile Community Kitchen & Eatery Chair and Finance VP/Treasurer for the Junior League Melissa Lantz believes the mobile kitchen will operate like a regular food truck, where customers will receive a few to-go meals.
“So many of our community members who are food insecure also lack the resources to cook food and the capabilities to make them,” Lantz said, adding that prepared meals remove that stress.
How to donate to the ‘Drive to Thrive’ fundraiser
To help fund the project, the Junior League of Binghamton has launched a “Drive to Thrive” fundraiser, with a $150,000 goal to contribute to their vision of ending hunger. The fundraiser will run until the end of 2026. Local businesses, organizations and community members are encouraged to visit juniorleaguebinghamton.org/mobile-kitchen to make a donation.
So far, the Junior League of Binghamton has raised $70,000 toward the estimated total between $225,000 and $250,000 for the purchase of the truck and funding operations for the first year.
Kalyn Grant reports on public service issues for the Press & Sun-Bulletin, focusing on schools and community impact. Have a story to share? Follow her on Instagram @KalynCarmen and on Facebook under Kalyn Kearney. Get in touch at KCGrant@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Junior League, CHOW launch mobile kitchen to fight hunger in Binghamton
Reporting by Kalyn Grant, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
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By Kalyn Grant, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin | USA TODAY Network
