GREEN BAY, Wis. — It’s a little before noon and a line is forming outside Grounded on the Go food truck in downtown Green Bay.
It’s the first day of operation for the truck and Lucas Schmechel is busy taking orders and making change.
“I’m excited about meeting the new customers and taking their orders,” he said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
The truck is an extension of Grounded Cafe, a downtown Green Bay cafe that’s highlighting the strengths and abilities of people with disabilities and seniors.
“We’re traveling around instead of being in a small cafe,” Schmechel said. “People will come around to different areas instead of just right from ADRC.”
The truck is part of programming by the Aging and Disability Resource Center of Brown County.
Aside from offering food, the truck is working to address a number of issues in the community.
It’s helping with employment and job skill development, food insecurity, transportation roadblocks and changing the stigma for people who may need help and services.
Aging and disability resource center director Devon Christianson said the food truck helps address many of those topics.
“This food truck will sometimes be just on the road and be a regular food truck,” she said. “Sometimes it’ll be on the go for persons 60 or older who can come and have almost the exact same meal as somebody who would come to a food truck, but it would be a donation-based meal.”
The truck features a wheelchair lift and other features aimed at making it accessible to Grounded on the Go employees and volunteers.
“If people see folks with disabilities and see the great gifts that they have, it really changes how people see people,” Christianson said. “But it won’t change unless we see people.”
Schmechel said he feels like he’s making a difference.
“I like helping the customers and making them feel like they’re important,” he said.