Poverty and hunger have long prevented people from tapping into highly nutritious fresh produce, but the Chester County Food Bank’s new Fresh2You Mobile Market is running over traditional barriers and delivering healthy food to those in Chester County who need it most — right where they live.

Debuting during the food bank’s Live United Community Peanut Butter and Jelly Drive with the United Way at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 12, at its Exton headquarters, the Fresh2You food truck-style vehicle will be stocked with fresh produce, healthy food staples and educational resources.

The new truck will hit the road on July 1 for weekly visits to underserved residents in urban Coatesville and rural Honey Brook, according to a recent announcement.

Its high-quality supplies will be gathered from local farmers and producers, including the Chester County Food Bank Agriculture Program, and featured alongside featured recipes and cooking demonstrations.

“To encourage shoppers to try new types of healthy produce,” Food and Education Program Manager Marie Kessler said, “we will conduct cooking demonstrations and offer samples of seasonal produce. We will also provide tasty, easy-to-follow recipe ideas and tips on how to store and preserve fresh foods.”

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamp) recipients will get bonus “double SNAP dollars,” and everything from WIC vouchers to cash and debit cards will be accepted as payment.

The 18-foot truck itself has been outfitted with walk-in refrigeration, a stainless steel food prep area and onboard generator thanks to a $76,000 federal Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Grant and an additional grant from the Aqualia Foundation.

The Chester County Food Bank is a non-profit organization that collects, grows, processes, stores and distributes food to 33 food cupboards and 60 meal sites across Chester County. With a focus on fresh food, the Chester County Food Bank has developed nutrition and education programs to help foster healthier lifestyles in the community.

Since its inception in 2009, the Food Bank has increased its distribution by over 119%, distributing 2.5 million pounds of food in 2014; of which 850,000 pounds was fresh produce.