Take Action to ‘Double Up’ Access to Oregon-Grown Produce
Take Action to ‘Double Up’ Access to Oregon-Grown Produce
By Mason Durfee, Double Up Food Bucks Coordinator
The legislative session is in full swing, and our leaders are making decisions that will have a huge impact on hunger in our communities. And among the critical investments, they’re considering is Double Up Food Bucks.
Double Up is one of our most effective tools in reducing food insecurity. Here’s how it works:
- The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — or SNAP — provides cash assistance to help families’ purchase groceries at local stores and farmers markets
- Double Up does exactly what it says — it doubles SNAP benefits to help tens of thousands of people purchase additional fresh fruits and vegetables
- For every dollar spent on SNAP-eligible foods, families receive an additional dollar to spend on Oregon-grown produce
The impact across the state is already huge — and we want to “double-up” the Double Up Food Bucks program to bring expanded access to fresh, locally-grown produce to 15 counties.
That’s where you come in: the expansion of Double Up Food Bucks will require additional state funding. There are several bills moving through the legislature right now to make it happen, so this is the time to make our voices heard!
I can not express how grateful and happy I am that this program is being offered, I feel that I am able to have more healthy food in my life. I really hope this program continues and is integrated everywhere else! Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the top of my belly!”“It has made healthy organic foods more accessible to me and is a wonderful way to enable people with low incomes to have the right to healthy foods. Health should not be reserved for the wealthy but something cultivated and celebrated by all!
Grocery Shoppers in Astoria, OR
We have some great allies in this effort — including the Farmers Market Fund, Pacific Northwest Community Supported Agriculture, Oregon Farmers Markets Association and the American Heart Association. We all agree that Double Up Food Bucks as a ‘triple win’ for our communities. It’s a win for Oregon families who have greater access to fresh produce. It’s a win for our farmers and grocers who gain new customers. And it’s a win for the many local economies that have been hard-hit by the pandemic.
That’s why we’re urging everyone to speak up in favor of the Double Up Food Bucks expansion. Because together we can connect local families with more fresh, locally-grown produce — and help our communities #EmergeStronger in the process
Thank you for all you do!
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