The YMCA’s Collaborative Food Access Hub Adds a Mobile Market Powered by Farmers’ Truck
The YMCA of Greater Boston just hit the road with a brand-new mobile market truck and we couldn’t be prouder to be part of the journey.
Built to expand the reach of their groundbreaking Collaborative Food Access Hub, this custom vehicle is now delivering fresh, nutritious, and culturally relevant food to neighborhoods across the city. For us, building this truck was about more than refrigeration and design - it was about helping power a mission we deeply believe in.
Because what’s happening in Boston right now is worth celebrating.
Bold Vision, Real Impact
In 2023, the YMCA of Greater Boston launched the Collaborative Food Access Hub, a citywide initiative addressing food insecurity with scale and intention. In just one year, the numbers speak for themselves:
1.7 million pounds of food distributed
164,000 pounds recovered from waste
20,000 residents served monthly
3.5+ million meals projected annually
Now, with the addition of a mobile market, the Hub’s impact is growing even more personal—meeting people where they are and making food access mobile, flexible, and community-led.
Built on Collaboration
Backed by $5.3 million in partner investment from the City of Boston, Mass General Brigham, The Greater Boston Food Bank, and Liberty Mutual, the Hub is more than a warehouse. It’s a purpose-built system, operating from a new 26,700 sq. ft. facility in Roxbury, designed for large-scale storage, rescued food distribution, and community-driven nutrition education.
“This new collaborative food storage and distribution hub represents a significant step forward in addressing food insecurity across Boston,” said David Shapiro, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Boston.
The Hub is also home to one of New England’s largest hunger prevention programs, and now, thanks to its new truck, it’s even more agile and neighbourhood-focused.
Our Small Role
At The Farmers’ Truck, we were honored to support this vision by designing and building a mobile market that could operate in Boston’s diverse neighborhoods, day in and day out. It’s a small contribution to a big mission and it reflects our purpose: to equip communities with tools that help them bring food access to life.
As Mayor Michelle Wu put it:
“The Food Access Hub expands our capacity to ensure every family has the nutritious food they need to be happy, healthy, and safe.”
A Model to Follow
The YMCA’s mobile market is more than a truck - it’s a symbol of what’s possible when local leadership, funding, and grassroots passion come together.
We’re proud to have played a small role in making it road-ready.
Let’s keep building systems that nourish, empower, and reach every corner of our communities.
