Going Mobile to Increase the Reach of Summer Meals: A Feasibility Study for the Rochester Community

CGR was engaged by Rochester Area Community Foundation to conduct a feasibility study of a mobile summer meals program for the City of Rochester. To complete this study, CGR researched existing programs elsewhere in New York and the rest of the nation, analyzed the reach of Rochester’s current summer meals initiative and identified gaps, and did an initial assessment of the receptivity to mobile meals in under-served neighborhoods in Rochester. Findings included that mobile programs tend to be somewhat more costly to operate than fixed sites, though much depends on how a vehicle is obtained. With a donated vehicle serving 150 meals a day, a mobile program would be operationally viable without a subsidy. In addition, we found several neighborhoods in the City could be consider under-served by the current network of sites, and a mobile program would be a nimble and flexible way to address gaps in the system.

Report Date: Apr 2016
Author(s): Erika Rosenberg , Peter Nabozny , Katherine Bell
Subject(s): Human Services
Location: Monroe, New York

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