“Sam” To Bring Produce To Food Deserts

 ========= Old Image Removed =========1Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2015/02/REVtruckWBHM.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:400;s:4:"file";s:24:"2015/02/REVtruckWBHM.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:6:{s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"REVtruckWBHM-336x224.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:224;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"REVtruckWBHM-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:22:"REVtruckWBHM-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"REVtruckWBHM-467x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:467;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"REVtruckWBHM-398x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:398;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:24:"REVtruckWBHM-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:12:{s:8:"aperture";s:1:"0";s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:0:"";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";s:1:"0";s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:1:"0";s:3:"iso";s:1:"0";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:1:"0";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";s:1:"0";s:8:"keywords";a:0:{}}}
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => 
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => REV Birmingham
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:137470;s:14:"optimized_size";i:95399;s:7:"percent";d:30.600000000000001;}s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:4:"full";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:52:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/02/REVtruckWBHM.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:133915;s:14:"optimized_size";i:91901;s:7:"percent";d:31.370000000000001;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:6:"medium";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:5:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:8:"file_url";s:58:"https://news.wbhm.org/media/2015/02/REVtruckWBHM-80x80.jpg";s:13:"original_size";i:3555;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3498;s:7:"percent";d:1.6000000000000001;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:2:{s:7:"success";b:0;s:5:"error";s:77:"WELL DONE. This image is already compressed, no further compression required.";}}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

)
1637532760 
1424390400

REV Birmingham's new refrigerated delivery truck. Its name is Sam.

REV Birmingham

The economic development group REV Birmingham estimates as many as 88,000 Birmingham residents cannot easily access fresh, healthy food. But the group, through an initiative called the Urban Food Project, is working to change that.

The Urban Food Project’s main goal is to help people who live in Birmingham’s food deserts — areas where nutritious and affordable food is difficult to get — by bringing affordable local produce to retailers and restaurants near them. Until recently, REV transported produce any way it could, in sometimes unreliable ways that often changed week to week. But with the help of a USDA grant, REV can now distribute produce more consistently and efficiently. Enter “Sam.”

Sam is a refrigerated truck that REV will unveil Friday in Woodlawn. According to REV CEO David Fleming, the truck gets its name from the late Sam Crawford, a former staffer who was passionate about increasing access to nutritious food in Birmingham’s food deserts. Fleming says Sam will increase the amount of produce REV can deliver to target retailers and ensure that its quality is not compromised in the process.

Sam’s debut party will feature Mayor William A. Bell, nutrition advocates, and members of the public interested in learning more about the Urban Food Project and REV Birmingham. As CEO Fleming puts it, “The unveiling of Sam really recognizes that this community as a whole is doing a whole host of things to address the health of its citizens.”

As early as next Tuesday, Sam will be traveling the streets of Birmingham and making affordable, nutritious food available to more of Birmingham’s citizens.

 

In Birmingham, Black men’s groups work to save young men from the cycle of gun violence

As the city inches closer to its homicide record, community members are trying to address a sense of fatalism and lack of opportunity felt by some young men.

SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who took aim at crypto industry, to step down in January

Gensler said he would step down on Jan. 20, when Donald Trump will inaugurated as the next president. Gensler took big enforcement actions against the crypto industry.

Russia launched an experimental ballistic missile at Ukraine, the U.S. says

Ukraine raised alarm suggesting Russia may have used an intercontinental ballistic missile to hit the city of Dnipro, but the U.S. National Security Council does not believe it was an ICBM.

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdraws as Trump’s attorney general nominee

Allegations of sex trafficking and drug use had stirred controversy over Matt Gaetz's nomination as attorney general.

This year’s FAFSA is officially open. Early review says it’s ‘a piece of cake’

The FAFSA form is now open to students hoping to get help paying for college in the 2025-26 academic year. Students can expect a much smoother process compared to the last cycle.

He was stuck in a hospital for 8 months. How states can fail people with disabilities

In Georgia and other states, the federal government oversees the treatment of people with mental illness and developmental disabilities, because the states have been unable to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the subsequent Olmstead ruling.

More Economy Coverage