In 2020, the Walmart Foundation awarded grants to 11 community-based projects offering innovative approaches to supporting healthy food access. The grants focused on initiatives that improve access to fresh foods for regions and populations experiencing disproportionately high rates of food insecurity. The Chickasaw Nation, one of the 11 grantees, focused on reducing food insecurity among tribal members through a mobile market that provided access to fruits and vegetables for tribal members in mostly rural areas.

Key features of the initiative included providing prepackaged boxes of fruits and vegetables in 12 locations as well as delivery options for tribal community members who faced significant transportation barriers. We found that using a mobile market format and providing “last mile” delivery was reported to improve access to fruits and vegetables for tribal communities and citizens.