A New Food Truck Combines Charity and Meals

It's a truck with a mission. Volunteers in Rhode Island operate the Mobile Loaves & Fishes truck to bring free hot meals, warm clothing and the knowledge that someone cares to those in need.

Mobile Loaves & Fishes is a charitable organization originating in Texas that makes use of specially equipped trucks with compartments designed to hold clothing and keep food warm or cold and secured during travel. Nine churches are involved from Barrington, Providence, Bristol, Cumberland and East Greenwich. The vehicle makes its home at Barrington United Methodist Church (BUMC). “Our model is interesting. In some places that do Mobile Loaves & Fishes it's just one church or one organization,” says Barbara Scott, a volunteer and member of BUMC. Her husband, Allen Scott, keeps the truck in good mechanical order.

BUMC members originally got involved in 2009, when the truck was making just a few runs every month. It now makes about 20 runs a month to various sites including Providence, Cranston and Woonsocket. The truck stops include homeless shelters and low income housing developments. Faythe Herdrich is also a volunteer from BUMC. “It's not just the homeless, it's working poor, it's hungry people,” she says.

Each church makes decisions on wha types of food to stock for a particular run, which may be peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, pulled pork or chili. “People get really creative in what they can do,” Faythe says.