West Valley Community Services operates a refrigerated 'park-it market' van in Los Gatos that provides free, often unlimited groceries to anyone in need without eligibility requirements. The van parks outside Los Gatos Library every second and fourth Thursday morning and was funded by Sutter Health with $180,000. The nonprofit expects to serve about 500 households across van locations in Los Gatos, San Jose, Campbell, Saratoga and Cupertino, and already serves 350 Los Gatos households through other programs including rental assistance. The van helps residents who are house-rich but cash-poor and may avoid aid due to stigma, providing roughly $50–$100 of goods per household.
A steady stream of families, older adults and working professionals pick out groceries on tables outside a bright blue van, grabbing everything from fresh tomatoes to eggs in the mid-morning Los Gatos sunshine. They joke with each other, look at recipe lists and chat about new products like Cinnamon Toast Crunch waffles. But this isn't a typical farmers market or grocery store - all the food is free and often unlimited for anyone who needs it.
Homelessness and hunger nonprofit West Valley Community Services recently launched its newest "park-it market" outside of the Los Gatos Library at 100 Villa Ave. to expand its services to residents struggling with the cost of food. The market - a refrigerated van that carts hundreds of dollars of groceries - parks outside the library every second and fourth Thursday of the month between 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Shoppers don't have to meet any requirements to get groceries from the van, which Sutter Health funded with $180,000.
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