Now, as the new manager for the Eat Well Sioux Falls Mobile Market, he can deliver fresh produce to his customers right in their neighborhoods.
Luke grew up on a farm near Lamberton, Minnesota, and originally wanted to become a police officer. He received degrees in Criminal justice – Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Administration, and was a 911 dispatcher for almost five years in Sioux Falls. That’s when he became aware of the needs of the community, especially in housing and food insecurity. His career turned to helping community members with these needs.
For me, I have seen housing and food insecurity as something that has only increased as our city has grown from my career at Metro Communications, then with Church on the Street, the Department of Social Services, and most currently at the Helpline Center. My goal with the Mobile Market is to help combat some of these issues and, in the process, help our community grow closer together.
Luke Senst
Manager, Eat Well Sioux Falls Mobile Market
Along with working with Church on the Street, Luke volunteers at a variety of faith-based organizations across the city, including The Banquet and St. Francis House. He also is a member of the new Leaders of Tomorrow cohort.
“Being able to assist the people in our community in getting access to healthy food is something I believe is needed, especially those who might face transportation barriers,” he says.
The Eat Well Sioux Falls Mobile Market is an initiative of Sioux Falls Thrive and was made possible by a grant from the Sioux Falls Health Department to improve healthy food access in identified priority areas in the city. Thrive’s Mobile Market Advisory Board has been working on plans for the Mobile Market for more than a year. For the two-year pilot phase of the Eat Well Mobile Market, Sioux Falls Thrive will provide traditional backbone organizational services.
The Mobile Market is expected to open early this fall.
As the community’s cradle-to-career workforce development initiative, Sioux Falls Thrive brings together community leadership to remove obstacles to student success and foster opportunity for all children. Thrive uses a collective impact model to tackle three important issues that can stand in the way of success for children across our community: food insecurity, affordable housing and out-of-school time.
Throughout this project development, Mobile Market advisory board members knew they would need a uniquely talented individual for the management position. Luke’s experience and passion make a great combination. He’s already proving to be the best choice we could possibly have made.
Michelle Erpenbach
President, Sioux Falls Thrive
“I’m looking forward to meeting our partners around the community and having some great conversations!”