Pelham Together Establishes Youth Entrepreneurship Opportunity

Nancy’s ice cream truck is back…and now run by Pelham’s youth overseen by Pelham Together. Pelham’s youngest entrepreneurs will honor the legacy of a Pelham icon, Nancy, who ran this vintage ice-cream truck for over 20 years. Dubbed Project Nancy, the enterprise will continue the truck’s legacy of bringing joy to the community while also launching a unique opportunity for Pelham teens to gain valuable work experience through operating and running a fun and dynamic business.

Clayton Bushong, President of Pelham Chamber of Commerce and part-owner of Cantina Lobos, has said “An ice cream truck like Nancy’s is a meaningful part of a Pelham childhood – it’s a common thread for so many kids. This is the actual truck that has been consistently weaving those memories for over 50 years. And the teens get to be part of keeping up this tradition for future generations.” Bushong approached Harry Brandler, co-sponsor of the project, with the idea of buying the truck from Nancy’s business partner and making it a teen-run operation. “I loved the idea immediately,” said Harry Brandler “my son Elliot is a classic car restorer and he and my daughter, Katie, grew up with Nancy and were excited to bring the truck back to the community.” Together, they approached Laura Caruso, Executive Director of Pelham Together, to launch this initiative in keeping with the Pelham Together mission to elevate youth through opportunities. “Right away, I knew this project was the right thing to do,” said Laura. “It brings together the best of our community on behalf of our youth—adults with skill sets who will work with our young people on business, marketing, finance, automotive, and operations tasks; young people with a passion to shape and give back to their community while gaining life skills and earning money as they grow more independent; all working together to keep a Pelham tradition in place. It’s a win-win-win situation!”

The truck will be available for sports games, parties, and events on weekends during the spring, summer and fall. If you would like to help kickstart this project with a donation to enable the teens to purchase inventory, conduct truck maintenance, etc., you can do so here. Any proceeds from the truck will help support Pelham Together’s youth work in the community.

Look for Project Nancy’s launch at Pelham’s Little League Parade on April 18, 2020!