Special Food Program Available Statewide
By Big Island Now
DA BUX Double Up Food Bucks is a popular program for SNAP-EBT cardholders administered by The Food Basket – Hawai‘i Island’s Food Bank in partnership with the Hawai‘i Good Food Alliance.
The program doubles the value of SNAP-EBT benefits, helping SNAP-EBT participants bring home more healthy local fruits and vegetables while supporting local farmers.
“Low-income households don’t always have access to nutritious food,” said Kristin Frost Albrecht, Executive Director of the Food Basket. “Through DA BUX Double Up Food Bucks, many have access to locally grown nutritious food. It also improves food security on the island and in the whole state. One local farmer added four greenhouses as a result of the program.”
Beginning June 24, the program will be expanding to a total of 30 participating grocery stores statewide. DA BUX is made possible through a $985,652 grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program grant and matching cash and in-kind contributions provided locally, including $100,000 from the Hawai‘i Healthy Food Incentive Program signed into law by Governor Ige in July 2019.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides over 160,000 Hawai‘i residents with monthly benefits to purchase food. DA BUX is taking that a step further by offering SNAP-EBT participants an Access Card for locally grown produce.
The Access Card contains a barcode that triggers a 50% discount at checkout on qualifying fruits and vegetables. It allows, for example, $10 in SNAP-EBT benefits to purchase $20 in healthy, local produce. All SNAP participants enrolled before May 31 will automatically be mailed a DA BUX Access Card. All others can sign up for an Access Card online at www.DABUX.org/get-an-access-card.
KTA Superstores was the first grocery chain to partner with The Food Basket, and they are now joined by Times Super Markets, Big Save Markets, and Shima’s Super Market.
“We are extremely happy to be able to assist The Food Basket in supporting local agriculture, while at the same time making healthy fruits and vegetables more readily available to “DA BUX” participants,” said KTA Superstores President and CEO Toby Taniguchi.
The original story can be found online here: https://bigislandnow.com/2020/06/23/special-food-program-available-statewide/