New truck adds fuel to fighting food insecurity

POST FALLS — How do you have a party for a truck? Staff at the 3rd Avenue Marketplace know the answer.

“In May, we had a 300,000 mile party for Big Blue. We brought Big Blue to a house, put balloons all over it and I think it was the day before the Post Falls parade,” said Brana Cully, development assistant and volunteer coordinator.

Unfortunately, Big Blue partied too hard.

“The morning of, we tried turning it on and it wouldn’t turn on. It was the first time we did the parade without Big Blue,” Cully said.

Maintenance was getting too expensive for the nonprofit to keep Big Blue running. It was purchased 15 years ago. 

Executive Director Leslie Orth was excited to announce that not only was a new truck finally on the road, but the vehicle also had a name: Betty.

Orth said the name was in honor of actress Betty White because "Betty White kept going, had energy forever and never got old."

The truck is still waiting on updated logo work, but her name was a fun debate for 3rd Avenue staff.

“Someone said we were going to call it Big Betty and then someone said, 'No, it’s Betty White,'" Cully said. 

As Betty’s driver, Jeff Eastwood said it was a relief to not have to worry about the high degree of maintenance Big Blue required. 

“Since the purchase of our brand-new work truck, life for me has been amazing to come in to work and not worry if it's going to start and get me to my stores like Walmart or Super 1 so I can pick up all the donated food for our guests,” Eastwood said. 

    Jeff Eastwood unloads Betty, the 3rd Avenue Marketplace's new truck.

    Driver Jeff Eastwood smiles while taking Betty, the 3rd Avenue Marketplace's new truck, on the road.