CHA's Revere Mobile Market Celebrates Its Fifth Anniversary
CHA staff, local officials, community partners, and volunteers celebrated the fifth anniversary of the CHA Revere Mobile Market.
REVERE, Mass. — On Saturday, March 4, the Cambridge Health Alliance Revere Mobile Market celebrated its fifth anniversary. Since 2018, the community health system has held a monthly produce market at the CHA Revere Care Center (454 Broadway) to distribute fresh produce for free to CHA patients and local residents.
Volunteers braved freezing rain, then snow as they assembled food into bags supplied by Tufts Health Plan, a Point32Health company. More than 400 households received eight different types of fruit and vegetables and three non-perishable items supplied by the Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB).
After the market, volunteers and local officials honored the many people who have made the market happen. Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo kicked off the celebration by speaking to the valued partnership with CHA, which he recognized for making a difference in the community. Carol Tienken, GBFB chief financial officer, and Cheryl Schondeck, GBFB chief operating officer, discussed the importance of food distribution programs like the Mobile Market. Carl Paratore from Point32Health, a longtime market volunteer, thanked all of the volunteers (more than 140 in total) who have played a crucial role in this five-year effort to address food insecurity.
“In 2016, CHA began an institutional effort to screen patients for health-related social needs, such as food and housing,” said David Roll, MD, medical director at the CHA Revere Care Center. “More than half of the patients at our center screened positive for food insecurity, and we began exploring partnerships to address this significant need in our community.” In response, CHA partnered with GBFB, Tufts Health Plan/Point32Health, Good Measures, and the City of Revere to launch the market.
Since its inception, the monthly Revere Mobile Market has distributed nearly 490,000 pounds of fresh produce to more than 14,700 local residents, half of whom are CHA patients. It also has featured multiple food demonstrations and information about community resources such as SNAP, WIC, and other local support in addition to nutrition education.