OLIVET, Mich. (WLNS) — Back in July, a food truck in Olivet caught fire and was left destroyed. But after months of hard work, a new “Truckin’ Awesome Food Truck” is up and running.
Marty Martin’s truck was no longer usable after it caught ablaze this summer. But that didn’t stop him from continuing with a makeshift setup and a limited menu, so he could keep his food pantry, The Olivet Community Center, up and running.
“That was a bit of a struggle. But we even got a fair bit of support with people frequenting that when I was here, just to help out,” Martin said. “Because everybody in town knows that the food truck and the pantry go hand-in-hand.”
But with everything going on, Martin still found time to purchase a new truck and completely renovate it.
“Basically, everything I had to do to the truck is everything you see,” Martin said. “When I bought it, it was just a shell. The floors were rotted, the walls were peeling.”
Inspection passed on the new truck a few days ago, and “Truckin’ Awesome” is officially back in full operation, with business booming.
“It’s insane; I mean, literally, it’s insane,” Martin said. “The phone never stops ringing. Just people stopping, so excited that we’re back up and running. It’s a good feeling,” Martin said.
He said throughout the journey, his number-one priority has been keeping the food pantry open.
“My feelings are, if you’re anywhere in this area, there’s no reason for anybody to be hungry,” Martin said.
He said he’s working with The Red Cross to start a blood drive, and now he has Narcan (Naloxone, to reverse an opioid overdose) available.
As for the food truck, the community can once again enjoy Truckin’ Awesome’s full menu.
