The Hey, Mama Mobile Pantry, launched in April 2023, is making appearances in several areas of Jacksonville to provide baby supplies, self-care products, health and nutrition education, and other items to Duval County families.

Funded by the City of Jacksonville, the mobile pantry is a nine-passenger van equipped with diapers and wipes, formula, baby food, men’s and women’s toiletries and pregnancy tests. Many of the initial supplies were donated by the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association and Nemours Children’s Health. Local nursing students are on board, as well as Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition (NEFHSC) staff members who administer postpartum depression screenings and provide referrals for community resources including housing, rental assistance, well-baby care and stress management.

The Hey, Mama Mobile Pantry, adorned with illustrations of a family and babies, is part of a larger effort by city and civic leaders and the NEFHSC to develop community-minded solutions to address the county’s high infant mortality. The mobile unit is one of several community outreach efforts NEFHSC is spearheading to help diminish stress by meeting individuals’ needs where they work and live. The intent is to encourage more pregnant women, new mothers, their spouses/partners and other family members to enroll in free community programs and services designed to give their babies the healthiest start possible in life. The mobile pantry’s schedule is available on the NEFHSC calendar of events.

The Hey, Mama Mobile Pantry joins the estimated 2,000 mobile units (including health care clinics) operating across the U.S. that serve approximately 7 million at-risk people each year.

Questions? Please contact Program Director Beverly Butler at 904.801.3350.