Last month we celebrated the return of Cheese & Thank You, New Hope of Indiana’s one-of-a-kind mission-driven food truck, for the 2026 season. This popular program gives young adults with disabilities valuable paid job training and hands-on experience in the food service industry. Team members learn food preparation, customer service, sales, social marketing, and business operations while serving up smiles—and delicious food—to the Indianapolis community.

The truck’s signature dish is creamy white cheddar mac-n-cheese, customized with your favorite toppings. Whether you prefer it classic or loaded with creative options like BBQ pulled pork or buffalo chicken, every plate is prepared with pride by our talented crew.

This season we’re excited to introduce you to one of our newest team members—Shamon!

Get to Know Shamon

• What’s your favorite food to eat? Fried chicken and rice!
• What’s your favorite meal to cook? Authentic ramen.
• What are you most looking forward to on the truck? Cooking and cleaning.
• What do you plan on doing with the money that you earn? Buying Asian food and video games!
• What do you hope to learn? “I hope to get good experience so that I can get a job after this and carry on my skills from this to the next job.”
• What do you like doing in your free time? I like to eat food while watching movies.

Shamon brings great energy and a big smile to the crew (just look at that wave!). Getting to know our participants like Shamon reminds us why this program is so special—it builds confidence, independence, and real-world skills that last far beyond the food truck.

We Still Need Volunteer Drivers! To keep the Cheese & Thank You truck rolling smoothly, we are actively looking for volunteers to drive our participants to and from community events. This important role helps ensure our team members can safely participate and gain meaningful work experience. If you have a reliable vehicle and a flexible schedule, your help would make a big difference.

Interested? Please email Kelsie Winters at kwinters@newhopeofindiana.org.

The Cheese & Thank You food truck serves the greater Indianapolis area and is available for events, festivals, and private gatherings. For the latest schedule, menu, and booking information, visit www.cheeseandthankyou.org.

Thank you for supporting New Hope’s mission of inclusion and empowerment. Every mac-n-cheese sold and every volunteer hour given helps our participants build brighter futures—one cheesy bite at a time!

For sponsorship opportunities, contact awood@newhopeofindiana.org