ECCO increases client access to healthy and fresh food
July 26, 2016
New refrigerated cargo van and Farmers Market supports nonprofit mission
MOUNT PLEASANT, SC – East Cooper Community Outreach, aka ECCO, will host the third Fresh and Free Client Choice Farmers Market on Wednesday, as part of increased efforts to bring healthier food options to low-income households across the Lowcountry.
What: ECCO’s Fresh & Free Client Choice Farmers Market
Where: The Old Laing Middle School parking lot (across from ECCO on Six Mile Rd)
When: Wednesday, July 27 | 10am – 3pm
Current and new clients will have one more opportunity this summer to feed their entire household with fruit and vegetables. Through a partnership with Lowcountry Food Bank, ECCO is able to buy affordable fresh produce in bulk, primarily from local sources. Tomorrow’s selection will include sweet potatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, butternut squash, and watermelon. With recent temperatures remaining in the upper 90s, guests will have access to chilled drinking water, made possible by Mount Pleasant Waterworks.
ECCO’s first two events took place in March and May, providing more than 12,000 pounds of fresh produce to 275 households.This program was designed as part of ECCO’s overall health and hunger relief strategy to provide additional healthy outlets for food-insecure families clients. Last month, ECCO received a new customized refrigerated Cargo Van to expand the organization’s capacity for transporting fresh produce back to ECCO from retail partners, restaurants, and local farmers. This effort was made possible by a generous community donor, with the goal of acquiring more meats and perishables to offer food insecure families on a consistent basis. Palmetto Ford was instrumental in coordinating the commercial-grade van and customized the vehicle for proper insulation, temperature controls, load guards, flooring, and other necessary components.
The recent implementation of ECCO’s Fresh and Free Client Choice Farmers Market and new refrigerated van both complement the organization’s existing goal of improving health outcomes for low-income families. ECCO will offer the Lowcountry Food Bank’s 6-week Cooking Matters class in August, and Walk with Ease, Cooking Matters in the Store (previously Shop Smart), and other wellness workshops throughout the year.
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About East Cooper Community Outreach
The mission of East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO) is to provide safety net services to our low-income neighbors, while empowering them to create better lives for themselves, their families, and their communities. Founded in 1989 as an emergency relief effort after the devastation from Hurricane Hugo, ECCO strives to eliminate poverty in the East Cooper region, and focuses on three main program areas: Basic Needs, Health Services and Empowerment. More than 4,500 families a year receive emergency assistance for food, clothing, household furnishings and financial aid, and have access to dental and medical care, counseling, prescription assistance, health education, financial literacy classes, job readiness classes, and employment services. www.ECCOcharleston.org
