Walk

The Green Mountain Community Network announced that they received a grant from the Vermont Food Bank to distribute Walk-to-Shop trolleys — like those seen here — free to their transit-dependent riders who use Shopper's Express.

BENNINGTON — The Green Mountain Community Network, operating as Green Mountain Express, announced that they received a generous grant from the Vermont Food Bank to distribute Walk-to-Shop trolleys free to their transit-dependent riders who use Shopper's Express.

Walk to Shop, a statewide project of Net Zero Vermont, will demonstrate and help distribute the shopping trolleys at a special event on Aug. 16 from 9 to 11 a.m. All transit-dependent Bennington County residents are invited to drop by the GMCN, 215 Pleasant Street offices in Bennington to obtain a trolley and ride the bus to shop on their regular service.

Ashley Bridges of Vermont Food Bank shared the bright green Walk to Shop trolley with the GMCN staff. As Vermont Food Bank’s food access provider for Bennington County, Bridges encouraged GMCN to apply for a grant from the Food Bank to purchase trolleys to help residents safely and efficiently carry their groceries home while riding the Shopper’s Express. “It’s a win-win for everyone, and we look forward to seeing the bright green trolleys rolling along the streets of greater Bennington. We believe the trolley will benefit Bennington residents, including those who ride the Shopper’s Express," said Terence White, Executive Director of GMCN, in a release.

The trolleys make it easier for riders to carry an entire load of groceries in a single trolley bag. The GMCN team is excited to get their trolleys into riders' hands and will distribute trolleys free while supplies last.

Green Mountain Express has also collaborated with Sunrise Family Resource Center in Bennington, which also received a grant from the VT Foodbank to purchase trolleys. These trolleys will be available at Sunrise for program participants and greater community members. The trolleys pair with Sunrise's recent Health Equity grant funding and initiatives to address transportation barriers in the Bennington community.

Through this funding, Sunrise is partnering with Green Mountain Express to offer a free "Family Support Shuttle" service twice weekly for anyone in the community needing transportation to and from local grocery stores, food shelves, and laundry mats. Trips can be arranged by calling Green Mountain Express.

The lightweight, sturdy Walk to Shop green trolleys are already making a difference across Vermont, where more than 700 residents use them to shop and carry daily necessities. There are already about 50 trolleys in Bennington thanks to the Vermont Food Bank's first grant to His Pantry. Those without a car were first to get a discounted Walk to Shop trolley. Now more residents are being encouraged to commit to walking and taking a Green Mountain Express bus to get their groceries.

"We're excited to help more people to walk to shop and use transit for short trips," says Debra Sachs, executive director of Net Zero Vermont, a statewide non-profit sponsoring Walk to Shop with the Vermont Clean Cities Coalition. The project launched in 2021 with a VTrans Mobility in Innovation (MTI) grant that encourages and incentivizes more people to walk more often using a shopping trolley to carry groceries and goods.

GMCN's shared goal is to work with partners, including the Vermont Food Bank and Net Zero Vermont, to improve both food security and access to convenient and affordable transportation options — advancing transportation equity and community resilience — through the use of transit, walking, and the amenities that support more walkable downtowns and villages across Vermont".

The Walk to Shop team, including Vermont Clean Cities Coalition, thanked the Vermont Food Bank, Green Mountain Community Network, the Bennington County Regional Planning Commission, and Bennington Community Market for their continued assistance in serving the residents and the broader community. This project is made possible by grants from the Vermont Food Bank, the Vermont Agency of Transportation, the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, and essential partners committed to healthy and resilient communities.