New Hope of Indiana- Cheese and Thank You

For many families with children who have disabilities, the transition from high school to adult life can be challenging. When young adults with disabilities transition from public school programming at age 22, many parents struggle to find services that will meet the needs of their children. For families looking for options outside of traditional day services or vocational rehabilitation, there are few choices. After talking with parents and hearing their need for alternatives, New Hope of Indiana launched the Cheese and Thank You food truck program.

First launched in 2019, Cheese and Thank You is a mission-driven food truck where the food is prepared, served and marketed by young adults with disabilities. The truck serves gourmet macaroni and cheese for $9 a bowl. Toppings such as grilled vegetables, pulled barbeque pork, bacon and buffalo chicken can be added for an additional $3. The truck also offers canned drinks, water and cookies.

The food truck serves as an internship/training program for individuals with disabilities. Participants are involved with the program for one season, which runs April through October. At the conclusion of each season, participants will have had the opportunity to gain the skills they need to work in an entry-level job in the food services industry. Not only do they learn valuable skills, but they earn money as well. Individuals are paid minimum wage while working in the program.

The program is led by a Food Truck Specialist who supervises and trains three program participants. As a member of the Cheese and Thank You team, participants are responsible for running all aspects of the truck – from preparing and cooking the food each day, filling orders, serving customers and cleaning up at the end of each day. They also learn how to promote the truck on social media, building their marketing skills. “It was a good experience for people with disabilities to show what we can do,” said Richie, who worked on the food truck in 2019. “I made new friends and got to meet some wonderful people.”

Each day begins with the participants in the kitchen preparing the food. A licensed commissary kitchen is used to prep everything needed for the macaroni and cheese. The truck is then loaded and driven to that day’s serving location. Next, participants take orders, serve the customers and collect payment. To close out the day, the Cheese and Thank You participants go back to the kitchen to clean up and put things away.

The truck operates Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 11:30am-1:30pm throughout Marion County. Businesses and organizations can request the truck to come to them during its operating days and hours by going to cheeseandthankyou.org. Additionally, a schedule of where the truck will be located will be posted on the Cheese and Thank You website and social media pages.

After it launched and operated for the 2019 season as the only food truck run by individuals with disabilities in the Midwest, the program had to be sidelined in 2020, 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID pandemic. “We are thrilled to be able to relaunch this program. For the past three years, organizations who hosted the truck in 2019 have been reaching out asking when we would be up and running again. They are excited to bring the truck back to their location and we are excited to be able to do so,” said Allison Wharry, New Hope of Indiana CEO.

In addition to providing job training skills for program participants, it also encourages inclusion and community integration opportunities for young adults with disabilities. “This is a great opportunity to be in the community and demonstrate what people with disabilities can do,” said Kathy Ballard, Director of the food truck program. “We want our community to realize that we are all more alike than we are different.”

New Hope of Indiana has served individuals with developmental disabilities and their families for over 45 years. While the organization offers a comprehensive suite of services, New Hope wanted to provide a new and different option for young adults to ease the transition to adulthood and into the workforce. Individuals with developmental disabilities typically have a more challenging time finding employment and through the Cheese and Thank You food truck, New Hope is providing an opportunity for them to grow their skill set and get hired.

“We are grateful for our sponsors who made this program possible – Kroger, Pearson Ford and Old National Bank. Their efforts to support inclusion and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities is making a difference in our community,” said Allison Wharry.

To learn more about the program, see where the truck is serving or to schedule the truck at your location, go to cheeseandthankyou.org. You can also follow the truck on Instagram (@saycheeseindy) and Facebook (@ cheeseandthanks).