this saves lives

Ask the people of Boston what issues impact them the most, and you’ll likely hear something about the cost of food. In 2023, Boston saw the second-highest grocery inflation in the country, and prices of basic household necessities have only increased since then. Between rising grocery costs, limited transportation, and tight holiday budgets, more and more people in the Boston area (and throughout the country) are struggling to put food on the table.

But for more than a decade, About Fresh, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to fresh foods in underserved communities, has been working on being part of the solution, from partnering with other food equity organizations like All In Food, PBC, to delivering fresh food right to the neighborhoods that need them.

In 2013, About Fresh founded Fresh Truck, an innovative, mobile market that supplies fresh produce to neighborhoods in need. Supplying more than 40 different types of fresh produce—from ripe avocados to plump oranges to leafy greens—Fresh Truck provides the convenience and nutrition to local communities that they wouldn’t otherwise have. And because Fresh Truck accepts SNAP, HIP and other nutrition assistance programs, this enables everyone in each community to buy fresh food regardless of their income.

Maria, a regular shopper at the Fresh Truck location in her neighborhood, shared that this service has helped her carry on family food traditions as daycare costs tighten her monthly budget. Over Thanksgiving, Maria used Fresh Truck to buy the ingredients for her mother’s sweet potato pie recipe. Without this option, “I would have used canned or left some things out this year,” she shared.

As the economy shifts, the need for organizations like About Fresh increase. In 2023, Fresh Truck completed 66,000 transactions and brought in over $2.7 million in produce sales from all over Boston—a shocking increase from 2022, which saw only 51,000 transactions and just $1.7 million in sales. In 2025 and beyond, About Fresh wants to meet the rising demand—and they’re branching out beyond the truck to make it happen.

As part of their mission to increase food access, About Fresh launched Fresh Connect in 2018, a food prescription program that enables healthcare companies to cover the cost of healthy foods by providing prepaid debit cards. The cards refill on a monthly basis, and shoppers can use the card across a network of 12,000 grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and other retailers to access fresh foods wherever they choose to shop.

But going further, About Fresh has made a way for people to support its mission of nutritious food access even if they happen to live outside of Boston. In a new partnership with All In (formerly This Saves Lives), shoppers can purchase organic, gluten-free, soy-free, whole-grain and palm-oil free snacks—and for every sale, All In donates a portion of those sales to About Fresh. (Shoppers can also try these craveable snacks for $0.99, for a limited time, to celebrate their About Fresh partnership. All In will donate $5 to About Fresh through the holiday season.)

Convenience usually means processed, packaged, or canned foods with sub-par nutrition—but through new projects and partnerships, Fresh Truck is helping communities access fresh produce and healthy foods in more locations than ever before. As our friends in Boston would say, that’s wicked good news.