WESTBROOK — It may not be in a bus anymore, but the concept is the same.

The Good Food Bus – now in a trailer – is back with fresh fruits and vegetables at low prices. The organization, which is in its third year, has returned to  Westbrook for the second year in a row.

The organization’s 2017 season kicked off July 18 and will continue through October. Every Tuesday the trailer will go to the Goodwill on Hutcherson Drive in Gorham from 12-12:30 p.m., Westbrook Pointe on Prospect Street from 1:30-2:30 p.m., and St. Anthony’s Church on Brown Street from 3:30-5:30 p.m..

“This is an amazing location for us,” Program Development Coordinator Sherie Blumenthal said of Westbrook. “It fills a great need.”

Westbrook Pointe is a new stop for the Good Food Bus. Blumenthal said the organization did well in Westbook last year and wanted to reach more people in the city.

Mayor Mike Sanphy said he appreciates the organization’s commitment to helping people eat healthy foods. He said he’s glad more Westbrook residents now have the opportunity to utilize its services.

“It’s a great asset to the community,” Sanphy said. “It provides fresh healthy food at a low cost and they bring it right to the neighborhood.”

The Good Food Bus also makes four stops in Lewiston on Wednesdays, one stop in Bath on Thursdays, and three stops in Auburn on Fridays.

The bus switched to a trailer this year to make the operations more efficient. Previously, all of the food had to be unloaded off the bus and set up on tables. Now, the sides of the trailer open up and people can shop through the window, like at an outdoor market.

A wide variety of food is offered by the organization, including cucumbers, potatoes, radishes, tomatoes, peas, carrots, strawberries, blueberries, leafy greens, eggs, cheese and more. It also sells anchor meals, which are bags that contain a recipe and all of the ingredients to make it. 

Most of the food is sourced locally, with some coming from a farm in Lisbon, some coming from Emery Farm in Wayne, and the rest coming from Native Maine.

“We’re trying to be as local as possible because we like to be as accessible as possible and we also like to support local farms,” said Kathleen McKersie, Good Food Bus’s assistant coordinator.

Part of being accessible includes offering low prices for the food and accepting various payment methods. Patrons can pay with cash, check, credit or debit card, SNAP/EBT and WIC. 

Brittney Sampson, a community builder in the Frenchtown neighborhood through Community Partnerships for Protecting Children, said it’s great that the Good Food Bus allows people to pay however they can.

“Accepting all payment methods is one of the best parts because it makes it more accessible,” she said. “It levels the playing field.”

While the first day in Westbrook was slow to start, Blumenthal and McKersie said a line formed in Gorham 45 minutes before they were ready to open. They said they plan to promote the bus more in Westbrook to attract more people as the summer goes on.

Kate Gardner can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 125 or kgardner@theforecaster.net. Follow her on Twitter: @katevgardner.

The Good Food Bus kicked off its second year in Westbrook on July 19 with stops at Westbrook Pointe and St. Anthony’s Church.

Good Food Bus’s assistant coordinator, Kathleen McKersie, and nutrition center fellow, Munir Lual, will help run the healthy food truck through October.

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