HomeMy Public PortalAboutWatertown Farmers’ Market Food Assistance Program - CDPCity of Watertown, MA
ARPA Project Proposal
Submitted by: Stephanie Venizelos
Submitted on: May 26, 2023
Request Number: ARPA-20
Project Name: Watertown Farmers’ Market Food Assistance Program
Proposal Type: City Department
Community Development and Planning
Recommended Project Manager: Stephanie Venizelos
Project Summary:
This proposal falls under the first category of ARPA: Responding to the public health and impacts of the pandemic, specifically to help address
growing food insecurity in our city. This request is for funds to support the Watertown Farmers’ Market (WFM) Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) Match Program, which provides free and more affordable food to eligible customers who shop at the market. In
addition to the match, funds would cover a stipend for a Food Access Working Group Coordinator to assist with ongoing outreach and
educational efforts to address food insecurity in the community. The WFM SNAP Match Program was established several years ago, and has
increased significantly in the past three years, with our match totals more than doubling each year. This funding will help address food
insecurity for some of our most vulnerable residents including older adults, young children, and Veterans.
Amount of ARPA Funds Requested: $35,000
Minimum Funds Needed: $20,000
Matching funds available? Don't Know
Other funds available? Don't Know
Project Narrative: I will use the form to enter narrative
Narrative description of the project:
The Watertown Farmers’ Market enters its 10th season this June, operating under city management since 2017. The market runs seasonally,
between June and October, hosting 40+ vendors with 500 – 700 visitors attending each week. In the late fall and winter, our farm vendors
offer a community CSA and SNAP CSA program to provide continued access to locally grown produce. Throughout the year, some of the
vendors donate generously to the local food pantry or community fridge. Considered a local asset to the community, the market’s purpose is
to provide access to farm fresh and specialty foods, support local agriculture and businesses, address food insecurity, build community, and
promote healthy and sustainable living. www.watertownmarket.com
The market is an affiliated program of Live Well Watertown (LWW), a city sponsored initiative of community wellness activities related to the
mission of the LWW Coalition: To convene a diverse and inclusive coalition of individuals and organizations who promote wellness, develop
educational programs and resources, and foster collaborations that support all dimensions of well-being. www.livewellwatertown.org
This proposal aims to both sustain and grow the current SNAP Match Program so more Watertown residents have access to affordable and
healthy foods available at the city’s Farmers’ Market through our SNAP Match and affiliated Healthy Incentive (HIP) Program benefit.
SNAP is a federally funded program that provides a sliding scale of income to individuals and families that need assistance with covering food
expenses. SNAP can be used in any store that is registered to process benefits, with the use of a state issued EBT card. The WFM is a
registered retailer through USDA allowing us to process SNAP as well as offer a match program. The Market’s SNAP Match program provides
customers a dollar-for-dollar match, up to $15 per week, to purchase food at the market. The market also accepts Women and Children (WIC)
and Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition (SFMN) coupons, which we don’t currently match.
The Healthy Incentive Program (HIP), an added benefit of using SNAP, was created to support local agriculture and encourage healthy eating.
HIP is only accessible through authorized HIP farm vendors and provides SNAP customers with $40 to $80 per month in free produce,
depending on family size. The WFM has three HIP authorized farm vendors who can provide an instant rebate to shoppers who purchase
fruits and vegetables at the market, essentially providing them with free food. HIP is funded through the state, and only available at certified
farm stands and markets.
Over the past several years, the WFM has utilized local grant funds to cover most of its SNAP Match Program. However, the match has grown
over 50% each of the past few years, and combined with our ongoing outreach and education efforts, grant funds no longer cover the amount
needed. Given this pattern of growth, we are considering all funding sources to continue to provide access to healthy and locally grown foods
and address food insecurity in the city.
The pandemic has led to alarming rates of food insecurity with one in eight people nationwide using SNAP benefits, and about one in seven
using benefits in the state. Prior to the pandemic, the percentage of people in MA considered food insecure was 8.2%. In March of 2023,
19.2% of households reported food insecurity, just under the peak during the pandemic (Project Bread). Approximately 8% of Watertown
residents are using SNAP benefits, and roughly 10% are eligible but not enrolled in SNAP. This number, considered the SNAP GAP, includes
thousands of our residents who could be receiving supplemental funds as well as free food from the local farmer’s market. Sadly, these
numbers do not take into account many others trying to make ends meet, and sometimes faced with paying rent over buying needed food for
a family. Food insecurity is a critical public health issue that we need to address more thoughtfully.
An added value of having ARPA funds for the market’s SNAP MATCH Program is that it would allow the use of local grants to fund other
community wellness programs. Live Well Watertown offers a variety of healthy living programs to the community at no cost. However, we are
limited in offering new and ongoing programs given the priority of funding the SNAP Match. If more funds become available for programming,
we could offer more healthy eating and living programs, especially to those with limited income.
If ARPA funds are awarded, the market’s SNAP Match would be more secure over the next few years, allowing us to work more closely with our
partner network of health/social/human service providers to help close the SNAP Gap and educate people about the market’s food assistance
programs. Last fall, we administered a food access survey to 15 local agencies to learn about barriers to using the market’s food assistance
programs. The survey reached approximately 330 people, with about one-third being current SNAP users. This data, along with anecdotal
evidence from customers and polling, provided useful information that can help us reach more people and assist them in using their benefits.
Some of the barriers we learned include being unaware of the market and its programs, language difficulties, limited access to on-line
information, lack of transportation, as well as stigma of using benefits.
Although the market strives to educate the community about our food assistance programs, we are only serving about 600 people a season
for our SNAP match (includes regular as well as one-time visitors). During the pandemic, the federal government provided SNAP users with
extra “Emergency Pandemic SNAP Funds”. which ran out this past March. Fortunately, the state was able to continue covering about 40% of
the extra funds to avoid a steep decrease in paying for the rising cost of food. These additional funds will no longer be available come June,
leaving many vulnerable residents without an ample amount of money to purchase food. The Farmers’ Market could essentially fill this gap,
this season and beyond, with the rising cost of food and basic necessities. A family shopping at the Watertown Farmers’ Market could access
$140 of free food each month, including healthy fresh produce. In addition to accessing food benefits, the market serves as a gathering place
with locally grown and produced food/items, information and resources about local organizations, live entertainment, and specialty programs,
located in a city green space.
Watertown would benefit from this funding because it would help support resident health and wellbeing by providing those in need access to
free food. Additionally, with the Emergency SNAP Funds ending this June, the city would be helping its most vulnerable residents fill the gap
after having extra funds for food during the pandemic.
Detailed Project Budget:
Following is a breakdown of the requested $35,000:
Farmers’ Market SNAP Match Program budget: $30,000
2024 $10,000
2025 $10,000
2026 $10,000
Food Access Working Group Coordinator: $5,000 Stipend
Timeline for the project:
In 2024 or sooner, if funds become available. The allotted amount of $30,000 for the SNAP Match would go directly to the market’s program
budget to cover the SNAP match, through 2026 at latest.
In 2024 or sooner: A contract for the Food Access Working Group Coordinator would be developed and posted, to begin as early as possible
and conclude no later than December 2026.
Resources required in addition to the ARPA funding:
Additional resources would not be needed. The Farmers’ Market is overseen by the Community Wellness Program Manager (CWPM) and
employs two part-time staff to assist with all facets of market planning and operations. Several volunteers contribute their time at the market
and on special projects. The Market team will continue its work during and in the off-season which includes processing SNAP benefits at the
market and doing ongoing outreach and education about our food assistance programs throughout the community. In-kind time of the
CWPM would include integrating the paid food access coordinator into existing efforts to more sufficiently address barriers learned from the
survey as well as convene stakeholders to work on a food security action plan.
Metrics for success of the project:
This project will be successful when:
1. We reach and serve more SNAP eligible customers in the market each year. We track all our SNAP transactions to assess efforts and
outcomes.
2. Our outreach and education efforts reach more people who are typically difficult to reach and engage due to language and other
barriers.
3. More community partners report having a better understanding of the market’s food assistance program to help educate their
clients/networks.
Outputs / outcomes:
1. An increased number of Watertown residents eligible for SNAP become enrolled to receive benefits.
2. An increased number of residents enrolled in SNAP learn of the Farmers’ Market food assistance program and can easily access it.
3. A new food security network is established and reports positive outcomes of collective efforts (accessing food resources, enrolling more
eligible people in SNAP, addressing barriers to using the farmers’ market benefits, and cross promotion of other social and health services).
What will be the overall benefit?
Benefits to residents:
1. What number of residents are being served?
We anticipate serving over 1000 people at the market each year and educating many more through outreach efforts (including those who
enroll in SNAP because of our efforts).
2. Does the project serve the most impacted residents?
Yes, the project will serve residents who are food insecure and possibly struggling with meeting other basic needs which impacts overall
health and wellbeing.
3. Are the benefits long term and over what period?
The benefits are long-term in that the project aims to serve vulnerable, food insecure residents whose lives can be seriously impacted without
access to nutritious and ample food. Also, providing food assistance to someone with limited financial means provides the opportunity to
cover other basic needs and expenses and a more stable lifestyle.
Financial:
1. Does the project leverage other sources of funding so we get more bang for our
buck?
We can continue to apply for grants, but local grant funds are not enough to meet the demand.
2. Is there a funding cliff and if so, what is the plan to deal with it when it comes?
There may be a funding cliff if we do not successfully find a longer-term financial sponsor to cover the match. However, securing funds to
support food assistance to our residents in need over the next few years in these challenging and uncertain economic conditions would be a
worthy investment in the health and wellbeing of our community.
3. Does the project address the unintended impact of COVID on our City’s ability
to maintain the service levels expected?
Yes
Strategic:
1. Is the project aligned with our Comprehensive Plan and ours Charter Preamble?
Yes, the project is aligned with the Comprehensive Plan which includes goals related to public health, community wellness, and essential
services. The project is also aligned with the Charter Preamble in promoting the health, safety, and wellbeing of our community.
2. Are we ensuring a variety and a balance of spending across priorities and needs?
Yes