Opening day Ceremony & Food Assistance Information Fair

The Belmont Farmers’ Market (BFM) will host their second annual Food Assistance Information Fair as part of the Opening Day celebration on June 6, 2024. Local and statewide agencies to provide information about food benefit programs

Everyone should have enough fresh nutritious food to live a healthy life. This idea led BFM organizers to develop the Information Fair last year. The primary goal is informing shoppers about the many benefit programs that can help them stretch their food budgets. Organizers also want to highlight that food insecurity is a problem in every community, and to emphasize the role that farmers’ markets play in combating it.

About the food assistance programs BFM’s food assistance doubles SNAP benefits (formerly Food Stamps) up to $25 weekly for each shopper. They are one of the few farmers’ markets that double Farmers Market Nutrition Program coupons (FMNP) for eligible seniors and WIC families. This season, the Market will add a fourth farm in the Healthy Incentives Program. HIP provides an instant rebate for produce bought directly from farmers using SNAP funds.

HIP is available to everyone who uses SNAP. Donations from the community and sponsorships from local businesses pay for the matching program, while the Commonwealth reimburses vendors for HIP purchases. Spending those additional funds at the Market also supports local farms and businesses.

The Information Fair will include representatives of statewide and local organizations who will talk to people about the SNAP, HIP and FMNP programs.

The expected participants are:

• Rebecca Davidson, Program Coordinator, Mass. Department of Agricultural Resource FMNP program
• Mary Loughlin, SNAP Outreach Coordinator, Department of Transitional Assistance
• Dalia Cohen, Director of Nutrition, Springwell (services for older adults)
• Khady Addison, Community Outreach Coordinator, Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA)
• Leah Schenkel, Manager of Hotline Outreach, Project Bread
• Dana Bickelman – Director, Belmont Council of Aging
• Laurie Graham, Board Member, Belmont Food Pantry
• Amy Kirsch, Co-Founder, Belmont Helps

As Project Bread says, “Two of the biggest barriers to food assistance are simply not knowing what's out there and the fear of stigma for needing help.” By bringing together helpful people in a friendly environment, the Market hopes to address both problems.

We hope to see you at the market!

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