Bob Asmussen | For C-U's Veggie Van, it's wheels up
Apr. 30—The Veggie Van will benefit from this weekend's annual Kappa Kappa Gamma alumnae flower sale scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Indian Acres Swim Club, 1 Arrow Road, Champaign. Each year, the sale sends proceeds to an area nonprofit.
"I'm very thankful that they're helping me with the fundraising," Rebecca McBride said.
Their story:
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The white vehicle makes its maiden voyage on May 11. With its brightly colored stripes and clever sayings on the side panels, it will be easy to spot.
What's inside: healthy deliciousness.
The Veggie Man debuts next month at Champaign's Martens Center, 1515 N. Market St., from 1-3 p.m., part of Extension Day at the facility. The brainchild of local do-gooder Rebecca McBride, the Veggie Van will provide access to fresh produce in parts of the community where there is a need. The best part: It's all free.
"We're trying to get to underserved neighborhoods," McBride said.
The locally-grown, organic items include lettuce, mixed greens, garlic scapes, salad turnips, beets and more.
McBride is partnering with Champaign's Prosperity Gardens, which will help operate the Veggie Van.
A string of events are scheduled for the vehicle throughout the summer, with stops at block parties, festivals and the Juneteenth celebration in Douglass Park.
To check out the schedule, go to . More stops are expected to be added.
"The Veggie Van gives us the flexibility to respond to community requests," McBride said. "We will be at all the major events at the parks."
The foods available will be seasonal. Root vegetables, which have a longer shelf life, are among the staples.
"Whatever the local farms have ready, that's what will be out," McBride said.
Sweet corn season is coming. Tomatoes, too.
McBride hopes to distribute 25,000 pounds of food this summer. Or more.
"I think we'll be out more often," she said.
The food is palate-pleasing. No matter what the product.
"It's because it's locally grown," McBride said. "So much more taste. It's all really, really excellent."
Chipping in
McBride's organization Four Osprey purchased a used van with the help of the Champaign Rotary, which made a significant contribution.
The vehicle is a Ford Transit Cargo Van. It is an ideal size for the venture.
"It's got a lot of room," McBride said.
There are stainless steel racks in the van, which come out easily. Large yellow crates hold the food.
"We'll be able to stack a lot of produce in the back of the van," McBride said.
On the back panel, there is a sign that reads "Honk if you support local foods." Going to be a lot of beeping.
Most of the driving will be handled by participants in the C-U at Work program and a crew of volunteers.
The food will be given out until it's gone at each stop. Customers choose the items they want.
"We ask people to take what they need," she said. "Whatever you want, you can have."
The program helps tackle the "food desert" problem in Champaign-Urbana. A food desert is an area where healthy options aren't available.
"We've got just swaths of them in both Urbana and Champaign," McBride said. "There are a lot of people that are hungry and a lot of people that need help."
Fresh food is important.
"We really want to improve the health and well-being, making a community that is healthier," McBride said.
The Veggie Van will also provide recipes and how to prepare the foods.
Origin story
The 65-year-old McBride is a longtime Champaign resident and former senior associate director at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. She earned both of her degrees from the University of Illinois.
She retired at age 58 with an eye toward helping the community with sustainability and social justice.
She had started her nonprofit Four Osprey in 2009.
"A bigger goal of mine, along with some other people, is to establish an urban farming program that is more robust in this community," she said.
She supports local farms by purchasing their products for the Veggie Van.
The social justice component of her work is to provide access to healthy foods for low-income neighborhoods.
"The food banks are awesome, but it's hard for them to distribute fresh vegetables just because of the challenges that come along with that," McBride said.
Anyone wanting to donate, volunteer or send a message can contact: "Take Action" at .
