According to a new study conducted by Unilever's Good Humor, nearly 70% of Americans acknowledge that they see fewer ice cream trucks and carts in their neighborhood now compared to their childhood. The worry of a potential future without the ice cream truck and cart would be devastating, as nearly 2/3 Americans would be upset if ice cream trucks and cart became a thing of the past, the report states.

Hence, Good Humor announced a commitment to help ice cream mobile vendors sustain their businesses with the launch of its Neighborhood Joy Grant Program. Ice cream mobile vendors have the opportunity to apply for a $5,000 grant. Early next year, consumers will have the chance to vote for Good Humor's "Joy Driver of The Year" – the recipient of an additional $20,000 grant. 

This program is the latest initiative out of Good Humor's Neighborhood Joy purpose-led platform backed by a $200,000 commitment to support ice cream mobile vendors over the next two years. Earlier this summer, Good Humor introduced the Keep Summer Rolling partnership with Jiffy Lube to provide ice cream truck drivers with maintenance vouchers. Good Humor also launched the Neighborhood Joy Vendor Hub to open lines of communication with the ice cream mobile purveyor community and provide information and resources year-round.

"Good Humor's Neighborhood Joy program ensures that we are always able to help ice cream truck vendors spread joy to neighborhoods across America and that's why we're so proud to launch the grant program as another way to support these independent, small business owners and help us preserve this joy," said Bentley King, U.S. head of Ice Cream Operations at Unilever.  "We understand the financial investment that goes into maintaining the ice cream truck business and we hope these grants will allow ice cream truck vendors to maintain and grow their business in meaningful ways, so that we continue to see ice cream trucks on the roads for years to come."