For people who might be lucky to get one meal a day, a dinner on wheels is providing much-needed nutrition.
Truck of Plenty is a new Seattle-based non-profit that hires a food truck to find and feed the hungry.
“This is what we need and it's a blessing,” said Laurie Campbell, who was among the first customers at Tent City 3 under I-5 in Ravenna, Thursday.
For Campbell, and dozens of other homeless people living there, a moment of respite rolled up at dinnertime in the form of the Snout and Co. food truck.
Campers lined up and chose Cuban chicken bowls or vegetarian bowls, all paid-for by donations to Truck of Plenty, which decides which truck to book and where to send it. It cost between $400 and $500 to hire the truck to feed the tent city, said Perry Pederson, who founded Truck of Plenty.
“Regardless of their situation in life, they need to eat, and they probably will make better decisions if they have some food in their stomach,” said Pederson.
He lives in Seattle and specializes in cyber-security for nuclear power plants. It’s critical work, but he saw another need out on the streets.
“I’m just really glad to be able to do something to help, to help improve the situation, instead of sitting back and just complaining about it,” Pederson said.
Truck of Plenty plans to visit more than homeless camps, Pederson said.
“We could go to schools, we could go to hospitals, we could go out together with other organizations that are providing on-site healthcare,” he said.
For Campbell, who had her first taste of plantains on Thursday, the hot meal gives her the energy she needs to get through the next few days.
“It's wonderful, wonderful, God bless them,” she said in between spoonfuls of chicken, beans, and rice.