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Local Farmers Market Delivering Fresh Produce To Those Most Vulnerable To COVID-19

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A mobile farmers market is now delivering fresh produce and basic necessities to the doors of those most vulnerable to COVID-19, free of charge.

The Civic Works' Mobile Farmers Market is traditionally used to sell fresh, locally grown produce at low prices in areas where healthy food is limited, but COVID-19 has made them temporarily change their mission.

"We knew we had to do something really quickly," said Gwen Kokes, the Civic Works' Food & Farm Program director. "A lot of older adults are really reliant on us."

They decided to deliver produce, toilet paper, hand sanitizer and even prepared meals to their door, free of charge.

CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

"They can't come outside their building and purchase food from us like normal," said Kokes. "So we're going to them, we're making the food free so there's nothing they can touch. They don't have to touch cash, they don't have to touch their snap benefits card."

They anticipate giving out over 3,000 pounds of food a week during this crisis.

"We knew soon enough to plant more into the ground, and we just took money from our credit line and planted way more than what we're used to," explained Kokes.

They will continue giving it away until they run out of resources.

For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.

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