HOUSTON, Texas — School buses that normally transport children are now hauling fruits and veggies.
It’s part of a new Houston ISD program designed to reach areas where access to fresh food is limited.
"We have carrots, we have green apples and red apples,” one worker said while holding up a bag.
The "Fresh Bus" program launched last week and is funded, in part, by a state grant.
Normally, this food would be available on individual campuses during the summer, but the pandemic prompted the need for a different delivery system.
"A lot of the places are in food deserts and a lot of the households we’re delivering the product to are food insecure,” said Betti Wiggins, HISD officer of nutrition services.
The district’s nutrition department got transportation services on board to put things in motion.
"They know where the kids are at, they know where the kids live," said Wiggins. "And all we had to do was put the product together, put it on a bus with a couple of personnel, and voila.”
New stops this week include complexes that surround 68 participating schools with high student populations.
Families can go directly to their closest pick-up site with no need for prior registration.
"At the end of the day, we’ve got to take what they give us," said resident Jermain Ruffin. "And we’ve got to work with what we’ve got right now with the society we’ve got going on.”
Families said a little food may go a long way.
"Some people really need this," said one worker. "Some people are hungry and you don’t know what people are going through these days.”
Find more information on the "Fresh Bus," including pick-up locations, click here.
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