FARM FRESH RI BONUSES GET MORE FRESH PRODUCE TO U.S. VETERANS
Pawtucket, RI ??? Farm Fresh Rhode Island, RI???s nonprofit local food hub, has launched a new??nutrition incentive program for United States Veterans.??Now thanks to special funding from??Farm Credit East and a generous private donor, Farm Fresh RI offers $5 bonus coupons to??U.S. Veterans for??purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets.??Farm Fresh RI is working closely with Rhode Island???s Office of Veterans??Affairs to distribute??the Veterans Bonuses through the VA Wellness Center and Operation Stand Down. The??current phase of this program runs??through October 31, 2017. (But stay tuned. There???s??potential to extend the program through the wintertime farmers market season.)
???Veterans experience higher than normal rates of food insecurity, explains Sheri Griffin, Co-Executive Director at Farm Fresh RI. ???Our Veterans Bonus program targets this issue with??much needed funds for purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables???and reinvests those dollars??back into our local economy at Rhode Island farmers markets.???
According to a 2014 U.S. Census Bureau survey (the most recent survey of its kind), Rhode??Island ranked among the top-five states with the highest percentage of veterans living in??poverty. And even if these rates have declined, as of 2016 the Ocean State was home to over??67,000 veterans, as reported in the RI Office of Veterans Affairs 2016 Annual Report.??The Veterans Bonus is offered in addition to Farm Fresh RI???s existing Bonus Bucks program,??which gives a 40% bonus to customers using EBT at RI farmers markets ??? increasing access??to fresh fruits and veggies for low-income individuals receiving federal Supplemental??Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Veterans Bonus coupons can be redeemed at the following Farm Fresh RI farmers markets:
ARMORY ??? Parade St at Hudson St, Providence Thursdays 3:30 – 7:00pm or dusk Open weekly through October 26, 2017 BROAD STREET ??? 807 Broad St, Providence Saturdays, 8:00am – 11:30pm Open weekly through October 28, 2017
CENTRAL FALLS ??? Garfield St Playground Wednesdays, 2:00 – 5:30pm Open weekly through October 25, 2017
DOWNTOWN PROVIDENCE ??? Kennedy Plaza Tuesdays, 3:00 – 6:00pm Open weekly through October 31, 2017
NEUTACONKANUT PARK ??? 675 Plainfield St, Providence Mondays, 3:00 – 6:00pm Open weekly through October 30, 2017
SLATER PARK ??? 825 Armistice Blvd, Pawtucket Sundays 12:00 – 3:00pm Open weekly through October 29, 2017
WEST WARWICK ???Thundermist Health Center, 186 Providence St Thursdays, 3:00 – 6:00pm Open weekly through October 26, 2017
WOONSOCKET ??? Thundermist Health Center, 450 Clinton St Tuesdays, 3:00 – 6:00pm Open weekly, year-round (Moves inside in November, 2017)
For a comprehensive list of farmers markets in Rhode Island, visit www.farmfreshri.org. About Farm Fresh Rhode Island Farm Fresh Rhode Island is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2004. We’re a small organization with a big mission???growing a local food system that values the environment, health and quality of life of farmers and eaters. We offer a wide array of food access, education, and distribution programs aimed at building healthier communities, increasing access to fresh food, strengthening community-based businesses, and improving the impact of food production and distribution on our environment. For more information, please visit www.farmfreshri.org.