Hollywood Farmers Market is pleased to announce it has received a $15,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente Northwest. These funds will support the SNAP match program at Hollywood and Lloyd Farmers Markets.
Every time someone receiving SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps) shops at the Hollywood or Lloyd Farmers Market, the SNAP match program gives them an extra $10 to spend on fruits and vegetables.
The SNAP match program began at the Hollywood Farmers Market in 2010, responding to the need for low-income members of the community to afford fresh, local produce. The program grew steadily, and eventually required outside funding sources to sustain it. Since 2010, over $100,000 in SNAP match funds has been distributed at the Hollywood and Lloyd Farmers Markets, helping thousands of low-income neighbors afford to purchase fresh, local produce at the farmers market.
For the past two years, the SNAP match has been supported largely through federal funding, thanks to a collaborative statewide grant from the US Department of Agriculture. Unfortunately, this funding will be ending in March of 2018, and local support is needed in order to continue the program.
“We were delighted to receive this award from Kaiser Permanente. This will go a long way toward ensuring that everyone, including our low-income neighborhood residents, can access fresh, local produce from their neighborhood farmers market.” – Ari Rosner, Market Coordinator
“I feel much more connected to the community and to the food I eat when I buy fresh and local from the farmers market. Thank you!” – SNAP Match Recipient
