Today I volunteered with the Green Machine, a mobile food market. I met the Green Machine at its first stop of the day, Wesley Madison Towers, an assisted living complex. Sarah, the founder of Volunteer Odyssey, joined me and we waited for the Green Machine to show up. We weren’t the only ones waiting for the Green Machine either. There was a whole crowd outside Wesley Madison Towers, and they were all eagerly awaiting the their arrival. Several of them discovered that Sarah and I were there to work with the Green Machine, and they politely pestered us about when it would arrive because it was running slightly late. I reassured them that it would be there, and sure enough, it arrived a few minutes later.
The Green Machine arrives at Wesley Madison Towers.
The Green Machine is a MATA bus that has been remodeled into a mobile food market with shelves of fresh produce and dry goods. It operates Monday through Friday and runs a different route each day of the week, stopping several places each day. The aim of the Green Machine is to provide quality produce at competitive prices in areas where access to good fruits and vegetables is limited. It’s called the Green Machine not only because it offers fresh greens, it is also literally a green machine. The exterior is painted bright green with pictures of produce, a work of art by the students of Hollis Price Middle College High School. The Green Machine also provides valuable nutritional information, offering a variety of pamphlets on healthy eating and different recipe cards supplied by the Church Health Center.
Sarah and I met Aaron, who drives the bus, Karlita, who operates the register on board, and Rachel, who helps run things behind the scenes. We were put to work helping customers with their purchases. One friendly gentleman was not able to go in the bus because he gets around in a wheelchair. So I had him tell me what he wanted and I went on the bus and got it for him and brought it back to him. Aaron often does this for many of the customers, and I was happy to help out in this way. I also carried quite a few watermelons into Wesley Madison Towers for residents and staff. It was a hot and humid day, so the watermelons were popular, along with cantaloupe and peaches. Whenever there was a lack of customers, I helped restock shelves and mop the floor.
Michael Garcia restocking shelves on the Green Machine.
At noon we closed up shop at Wesley Madison Towers and headed to the next stop, Advance Memphis on Vance Ave, an organization that is no stranger to Volunteer Odyssey. Advance Memphis was founded to help revitalize the 38126 zip code area of South Memphis, one of the poorest neighborhoods not only in Memphis, but in the nation. When we arrived at Advance Memphis, the Green Machine was running low on produce, so Sarah and I made a run to their supplier, Easy-Way Produce. When we got back to the Green Machine, there were several people waiting for the grapes, peaches and cantaloupes we brought back.
Michael Garcia restocking the Green Machine with more peaches.
Michael Garcia resupplying the Green Machine with an order from Easy-Way Produce.
When we were done at Advance Memphis, Aaron and Karlita had their lunch break, so I tagged along with Rachel to several places to drop off Green Machine flyers to let people know when and where it would stop, including Barry Towers and Legends Park. While driving around to drop off the flyers, Rachel and I had an interesting conversation in which she briefed me about the background of the Green Machine and how it developed out of a project concerned with housing redevelopment and urban planning. The main thing I learned from the conversation is that housing development is a complex issue.
Rachel explaining the Green Machine to Michael.
Michael and Rachel with the Green Machine outside Advance Memphis.
I utterly enjoyed my volunteer experience on the Green Machine. I was really struck by the overwhelmingly positive response everyone had. The residents of Wesley Madison Towers were incredibly grateful for the service provided. Almost everyone there showered me and the others on the Green Machine with enthusiastic thanks. One of the residents, Don, talked to Sarah and myself at length at how great it was for him to be able to buy fresh produce right outside Wesley Madison Towers. His only other option for getting fresh produce entails a long bus ride, which is not ideal when you are carrying a bunch of groceries. Don, like myself, likes to cook, and he entertained us with a recipe for stuffed cabbage. Mrs. Bird, one of the staff members at Wesley Madison Towers, also spoke to Sarah and myself about how wonderful the Green Machine is. She emphasized how important it was for the residents to have regular access to healthy food. It was the same everywhere I went with the Green Machine. Everyone was excited to see the big green bus, happy to buy fresh produce, and generous in their praise for the idea. The people behind the Green Machine certainly hit upon a brilliant idea when they came up with a mobile food market to bring produce to people that otherwise would not have access to it. I am glad to have helped out today and I hope to volunteer with the Green Machine again. I took some recipe cards home with me as souvenirs. I’m thinking of trying the recipe for “Simple Summer Succotash”.
Michael Garcia on the Green Machine at Advance Memphis.
Thank you for reading! I’m searching for a job as an historical consultant, researcher or educator. If you know of a great fit, please send it our way: jobleads@volunteerodyssey.com.
Cheers,
Michael
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