MINNEAPOLIS — As we head into a new year — food insecurity in Minnesota continues to be a huge issue.
In 2022, food shelf visits hit a record high of 5.5 million. It's an increase of almost 2 million visits compared to 2021.
2023 is projected to hit more than 7 million visits, according to the non-profit Hunger Solutions Minnesota.
One of the biggest issues is the abundance of food deserts — areas and neighborhoods that have limited access to affordable and nutritious food.
One Twin Cities organization is trying to change that, and they're using a pretty unique approach.
It's one that provides great selection, great prices, and it's tough to beat the venue as it comes directly to you.
That's right, the Twin Cities Mobile Market is a grocery store on wheels.
"People need to be able to find good affordable groceries too and that's where Twin Cities Mobile Market comes in," said Sophia Lenarz-Coy, executive director of The Food Group, which has operated the bus for the last three years.
"It provides retail access, and we try to make it really easy and lower the barriers for people."
The bus travels around the metro area to neighborhoods that don't have access to full-service grocery stores.
"You see milk and eggs and fruits and veggies," Lenarz-Coy said. "What we really try to do is make sure we get the top requested items, make sure it's things that lend themselves well to preparing meals."
The Mobile Market has proven to be pretty popular. In the last six months, they've served over 4,000 customers here in the Twin Cities, underscoring the need here in our community.
The bus made its usual stop at the Ebenezer Park Apartments on Monday, where Mark Crownhart walks the aisle every week.
"It just saves a trip to the grocery store, and so that's good," Crownhart said. "A lot of people in this building don't have cars. I don't have a car. So I use public transportation."
Lenarz-Coy says that can prevent a lot of people from getting the nutrition they need.
"What we find is for a lot of seniors, it's so difficult to take public transportation to try to haul groceries back to their apartments. And so if we could bring really high-quality groceries to their door, it breaks down those barriers to eating well."
This one bus carries so much for Crownhart and other customers. It means that they go home with full stomachs and full hearts this holiday season.
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