Dotte Mobile Grocer

image of grocery truck with vegetables in foreground
Recognizing the need for fresh, affordable food in Wyandotte County, a group of community partners joined forces with Dotte Agency to launch the Dotte Mobile Grocer in 2019. Research revealed that nearly 22,000 Wyandotte County residents have limited access to grocery stores, one in four children experience food insecurity, and 31 percent of households with three or more people have one or no vehicles. The mobile grocer aims to improve access to affordable, healthy food by bringing groceries directly to neighborhoods at scheduled times and locations based on community needs and demand.

The mission of the Dotte Mobile Grocer is to provide accessible, affordable, and healthy food to residents of Kansas City, Kansas, who have limited access to grocery stores.

Accessible: The mobile grocer makes grocery shopping more convenient through weekly visits to neighborhood locations and meal kits featuring ready-to-cook recipes.

Affordable: The mobile grocer is stocked by the grocery wholesale distributor TX Valley/El Torito and accepts SNAP, EBT, and WIC vouchers.

Healthy: The mobile grocer offers fresh produce, meat, dairy, meal kits, food staples, and household items.
Year: 2019
Location: Kansas City, Kansas
Course: Studio 509
Instructor: Nils Gore

Students: Trevor Beirise, Heather Briggs, Emma Brinson, Abigail Clem, Haley Dougherty, Stormy Ford, Calista Gorrell, Ethan Harper, Daniel Holton, Maddie Hughes, Alejandro Medrano, Benjamin Naudet, Alexis Nino, Daniel Ritchie, Jesus Rubio, Sydnee Sachtleben, Sarina Shanks, Reece Simpson

Our Team: Mobile Market Community Council, TX Valley/El Torito, Community Health Council of Wyandotte County, Dotte Agency / KU School of Architecture & Design, Humana, Wyandotte County WIC Department, Carpenter Collective

Funders: Health Forward Foundation, Menorah Heritage Foundation, Shawnee Mission Medical Center

Partners in Health: Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Healthy Communities Wyandotte, Food Systems Action Team, K-State Extension, KC Healthy Kids, Grocery Access Task Force, Latino Health for All Coalition

Community Support: New Bethel Church Community Development Corporation, Kansas City, Kansas Housing Authority, Livable Neighborhoods, Historic Northeast Midtown Association, Central Avenue Betterment Association, Downtown Shareholders, Rosedale Development Association, Econ Avenue, Parkwood Colony Neighborhood Association, Kensington Community Neighborhood Association, Wyandotte Countians Against Crime Neighborhood Association, Organization for Community Preservation Neighborhood Association

Academic Assistance: University of Kansas School of Architecture and Design, University of Kansas School of Business, University of Kansas School of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Kansas State University - Wyandotte County Extension Office

Fabrication team: Willie Johnson, Erik Stockler, Jesse Jacobe, Nils Gore.