Hope Mission food truck set to cruise across Alberta this summer
Edwin Badong and Rodel Luquingan have a lot of driving to do this summer, taking the Hope Mission’s new food truck across Alberta.
On Friday, the two were busy serving grilled cheese out of the brand new truck at the Tegler Youth Centre’s summer kickoff party at 118 Avenue and 38 Street. The two hope to cook some more elaborate meals, like stir-fries and fried rice in the coming weeks when they take the mission’s newest outreach initiative to communities across the province, serving free food to at-risk and hungry youth.
“We’ve kind of had this pipe dream for a while now to have a kitchen that’s mobile that really allows Hope Mission to bring services and food to hungry kids and youth across the province,” said Robin Padanyi, Hope Mission’s community engagement manager.
The food truck is brand new, purchased this year and outfitted with a grill, broiler, fridge and other kitchen appliances. A graphic designer volunteered to design the truck’s paint job.
“It’s this beautiful Hope Mission vehicle which can really bring hope in a mobile sense into neighbourhoods and communities,” said Padanyi.
There are plans to take the truck to Calgary and Red Deer, among other communities around Alberta.
The mobile kitchen has been in the works for a couple of years, an idea from Hope Mission’s executive director, Bruce Reith. A recent large donation made the plans a reality.
After jumping through the logistical hurdles involved in getting a kitchen on the road, the truck hit the streets for the first time last weekend.
The Hope Mission’s newest staff cooks, Badong and Luquingan, will run the truck for the first year but there are plans to eventually get some of the youth who the truck is intended to serve working in it also.
There’s also a possibility of having food grown at the Hope Mission’s Bethany Homes farm used in food-truck meals.
“We’ve grown everything,” said Padanyi about the farm. “A lot of really great, wonderful, fresh food, so our hope is we can use some of that in Hope Mission’s food truck to kind of complete the circle of food grown by kids and youth and then served to other hungry kids in this community and in this province.”
There are no intentions to sell the food commercially. It will be used exclusively to feed communities in need.