Overview

SNAP to Health provides low-income residents of Prince George’s County who reside within designated food desert zips: 20743, 20745, and 20722, with healthier food choices, nutritional education, health literacy and community services by way of pop-up Farmers Markets.  These Markets allow for individuals who live a significant distance from grocery store and fresh food sources, the opportunity to utilize their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to purchase healthy food for their families.

We partnered with Community Outreach and Development; a community services organization located in Capital Heights, MD (20743) and Kevin Alsop of Feeding 5000; a local food grower in Capital Heights to hosted five Farmers Markets equip to accept SNAP and offering a ‘Double Bucks’ Program.  Over five days we had approximately 185 people who attended the Market; M-F; 100 consumers were SNAP recipients; 25 of those were DC. One consumer utilized SNAP benefits and Double Bucks; totaling approximately $16. Additionally, 65 food samples were served, and 37 consumers visited the United Medical Health Mobile for blood pressure checks.

Aside from the Farmer, we were able to secure the Mobile Health Unit from United Medical, and to have the following resource Vendors: United Health Care, Sterling Senior Skin Care, Team for CPR, the UM Master Gardners’ Program, and representatives from M-NCPPC to share summer programming. Amanda Rzepkowski, from FSNE, University of Maryland Extension was also there to provide health literacy, food sampling, and cooking demos.