Two community organizations, ACTION and GROW Urban Farm, a project of Flying High, Inc., have set out to diminish the food deserts in our community.

They've been doing pop up markets for several years, but now realize the need is greater than they had imagined.

"We've been doing pop up markets all over the city but everybody cannot get to those markets," said Rose Carter, executive director at ACTION. "So we want to be able to get to all the outline areas in a mobile truck," she said.

The pop up markets usually last four months out of the year, but the truck will run year-round, going into neighborhoods and allowing people to enter and shop.


Just like a regular grocery store, the food is going to cost but prices will be low.

Organizers say their goal is to get produce into the hands of the community and they'll need about half a million dollars in funding to do it.


"For the truck itself and to prepare it, we're looking at about 200 thousand doallars and that also includes hiring a person to manage the truck and to purchase the produce," said Vicki Vacars, organizer at ACTION. "Right now, up to 300,000 dollars we're looking for so that folks with economic disadvantage and health issues can receive food for free from this vehicle," she said.

They're looking to get grants and are fundraising to acquire all the money.

Organizers say the mobile market will triple and even quadruple the number of people they are able to reach by taking the show on the road. Currently, they feed about 8,000 people.

Vacars tells 21 News that as long as there is poverty and food deserts, they will run the mobile market.

Other groups involved in this initiative include: YNDC, Youngstown City Health District, MYCAP, Healthy Community Partnerships, Eastern Gateway Community College, North East Ohio United Methodist District, Mercy Health Community Education.

Organizers are hoping to have the mobile market up and running by January 2022 and will continue with pop up markets as well.