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LEAP’s Mobile Market travels across the city of Roanoke, delivering fresh food to communities with otherwise limited access. It sets up at senior centers, Roanoke Housing Authority properties, and under-served neighborhoods on a weekly schedule, every month of the year. Each stop becomes its own popup community of folks looking to add more fruits and vegetables to their tables. All are welcome at every LEAP Mobile Market stop.
The LEAP Mobile Market doubles the value of purchases made by recipients of SNAP, Medicaid, and WIC. For every dollar spent (EBT, cash, or credit), LEAP matches with an additional dollar to spend on produce. Customers show LEAP staff their card, and LEAP applies the discount at checkout. Customers should make sure their orders are at least half fruits and vegetables to get the full match. Medicaid and WIC recipients must pay with cash, check, credit, or debit as LEAP is not able to swipe those cards.
LEAP’s Mobile Market hit the road in 2015 in a not-always-reliable church van that was soon retired. Mobile Market 2.0, a retro-fitted Penske truck, is still rolling. Whether you see it driving down a busy street or getting ready for customers at a stop, it's hard to miss—with its rain awnings, price lists in three languages, and produce drawers that pull out do display fresh food.
LEAP’s mission and vision most visibly comes together at the Mobile Market. LEAP Mobile Market supports local farmers and food businesses by providing a year-round outlet for their goods. It increases nutrition security by bringing fresh food to people who often cannot otherwise get it. And it brings neighbors together each week around a common desire for quality, nutritious, fresh food. By offering this, LEAP helps increase demand for and supply of local food, while improving health in our communities.
LEAP’s Mobile Market can be scheduled for events on a limited basis. For LEAP to bring the mobile market to your festival, school, or workplace, we must cover the costs of gas, staffing, and food. Our way of doing that is to ask organizers to purchase a set number of Market or Harvest Bucks, depending on the length of stay for the mobile market. Read more about our Market Bucks program here. LEAP fundraises to cover the cost of a limited number of events in underserved communities.
To allow the mobile market to reach as many people as possible in a time of great need, LEAP fundraises by applying for grants, asking for individual donations, and reaching out to businesses for sponsorships. Let us know if we can answer any questions about how you, your business, or your organization can support LEAP’s Mobile Market.
Find information about how to sell wholesale to LEAP
in the Food Hub section under Cultivate Food.
Questions?
Email: markets@leapforlocalfood.org