SLO Food Bank’s trucks will soon hit the road with new design
Seven SLO Food Bank vehicles, including five box trucks and two cargo vans, will be updated in a new design
–The SLO Food Bank has announced that its fleet of delivery trucks will soon be spotted in a new design as they travel throughout SLO County distributing nutritious food to those most vulnerable in the community. This change comes as a product of the SLO Food Bank’s receipt of the 2019 24-Hour Give, Verdin Marketing’s annual charitable event to rebrand to a local nonprofit.
With the rate of hunger skyrocketing since the start of the pandemic, full implementation of the 2019 rebranding effort was paused. Although the SLO Food Bank continues to provide food at a level far greater than prior to the pandemic, the organization says it is excited to take this important step forward in rebranding, particularly because each truck will now clearly and beautifully display information regarding how to receive help. A total of seven SLO Food Bank vehicles, including five box trucks and two cargo vans, will be updated in a new design that connects vital aspects of its nonprofit mission with San Luis Obispo County’s vibrant agriculture, the organization’s steadfast volunteers, and donors and other community partners who make this mission possible.
“We engaged our entire team in this creative process, and together we decided on bright colors, fresh produce, local scenery, and the hands that make everything possible,” said Luise Gleason, Marketing and Communications Coordinator at the SLO Food Bank. “The categories we chose for each of our five large box trucks are citrus, greens, berries, carrots, and apples, because fresh produce is key our mission. While each truck displays a different agricultural scene, the theme remains the same.”
Gleason worked with local photographer and SLO Food Bank volunteer Carolyn Eicher to photograph different pairs of hands holding fresh produce. Ten other individuals, each of whom have a special connection with the SLO Food Bank, volunteered as hand models. Hand models included SLO Food Bank volunteers, donors, employees, partner nonprofits, local farmer Tom Ikeda, and the lead singer of Proxima Prada, Nick Larson.
For the backdrop of the design, the SLO Food Bank worked with local farms, including Talley Farms, Rutiz Farms, First Fruits Farm, and Cal Poly, to capture panoramas of produce grown within SLO County.
Additionally, the SLO Food is also celebrating the continued support of fuel sponsor, JB Dewar. “We are honored to partner with the SLO Food Bank on the design of their new delivery trucks,” said Morgan Dewar, JB Dewar operations manager. “For the past 5 years, JB Dewar has been helping the SLO Food Bank distribute wholesome, nutritious food to our community by providing the necessary fuel to keep these trucks running. We are so excited to see them hit the road and provide even more people with reliable access to food.”
Another important partner in this project is Donahue Truck Center, an independently owned trucking company that strives to support the community they live in through their Idealease Cares program, and generously sponsored a large portion of the expenses for this project.
“Donahue Idealease is honored to partner with the wonderful staff at the SLO Food Bank for the last six years and has been partnering with Feeding America for over 30 years,” Richard Kopp, Vice President of Sales, said, “We have had the privilege to contribute, even in a small way, to the mission of making sure the San Luis Obispo community has a place they can rely on when hunger is an issue. For some, it is hard to fathom; for others, it is a concern every day. Many thanks to the people and the mission of the SLO Food Bank.”
The SLO Food Bank plans to celebrate the completion of the first wrapped truck and its first official fuel up on Friday, September 17 at JB Dewar, located at 75 Prado Rd. in San Luis Obispo at 1 p.m.
To learn more about the work done by the SLO Food Bank throughout San Luis Obispo County, please visit www.slofoodbank.org.
