The Edwardsville Community Foundation will be offering up to a $1,500 match of funds raised between February 12th through March 16th for the Goshen Market Foundation's Market on Wheels Campaign. In the photo, left to right, are: Dr. Jessica DeSpain, Goshen Market Foundation President, Pam Farrar, Edwardsville Community Foundation Executive Director, and Tara Eberlin Pohlman, Goshen Market Foundation Vice President.

EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Community Foundation is hoping to give a little fuel to a local nonprofit organization that’s committed to bringing healthy produce to people who might not otherwise have access to it. The Foundation will be offering up to a $1,500 match of funds raised between Feb. 12 through March 16 for the Goshen Market Foundation’s Market on Wheels Campaign.

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The Market on Wheels will consist of a truck or van outfitted with refrigerated storage, carrying produce from local farmers, Goshen Market vendors, and SIUE’s Rooftop Teaching garden. The vehicle will visit neighborhoods, schools, and community centers around District 7 and offer the fresh produce at affordable prices.

Goshen Market Foundation President, Dr. Jessica DeSpain, said this project will not only help educate SIUE students about food sustainability, but also educate the public about how to cultivate a healthy local food community.

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“Our goal with this project is simply to make it easier for people to make healthy, sustainable food choices," she said. "By having SIUE students help grow and donate the food from our rooftop garden, we’ll be able to keep the costs down and hopefully serve more people. I think everyone would be surprised if they knew how many people in our community are essentially living in what we call a food desert, which means there isn’t a grocery store within a mile of their residence. For people who don’t have access to transportation, buying healthy food can be a huge challenge."

Dr. DeSpain says the Market on Wheels will have designated routes which include 1-2 stops per week in various population centers around District 7, including SIUE student housing, senior living facilities, low-income housing developments, city parks, and other facilities.

ECF Executive Director Pam Farrar says the Market on Wheels project speaks to the Foundation’s mission of enhancing the lives of people in this community. “There’s no question that the downtown Goshen Market is a real asset in this community, and this project is really just a smart extension of that service. It will benefit the whole community and hopefully improve people’s access to locally grown foods,” said Farrar.

To learn more about the Market on Wheels campaign or the Goshen Market Foundation, visit their website at goshenmarketfoundation.org. To make a tax-deductible donation to the Market on Wheels Campaign through the Edwardsville Community Foundation, go to app.donorview.com/M5wD
or call Pam Farrar at 618-520-8099.

The Edwardsville Community Foundation was founded to create an organization where people could donate money that would directly impact the quality of life in the local communities. ECF operates as a charitable trust that receives, manages, and distributes tax-deductible charitable contributions for the benefit of the residents living in the local communities, as defined by the Edwardsville School District 7. Since its inception in 1997, the ECF has distributed more than $5.4 million to charitable causes.

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