Market offers double SNAP benefits

The Dunkirk Farmers Market now offers double benefits to participants in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Thanks to a grant from the St. Joseph Community Health Foundation in Fort Wayne, the market is part of Double Up Indiana, a state program that matches SNAP benefits (often referred to as food stamps) dollar for dollar as long as they are being used to buy fruit or vegetables.

Market master Kenci Grayson applied for the grant after the January death of her grandfather, Clyde “Bus” Rogers of Pennville, an avid gardener deeply involved in his community.

Rather than focusing on her loss, Grayson dove into an effort to improve the Dunkirk market, now in its second year.

“I knew I had a choice,” she said. “I decided to throw my grief into writing grants to try to make the farmers market better. … He would have wanted me to do stuff like this instead of just sitting being sad. … This is in honor of him.”

Grayson had no experience in pursuing grants, but her first proposal was a success.

Then began the work of getting the market approved by the USDA to receive SNAP payments. Grayson said that was much more difficult and time consuming than writing the proposal had been. But again, she was successful.

“I’m pretty proud of that,” she said. “It’s kind of a big deal to be a little market and get it.”

The Dunkirk Farmers Market is from 4 to 8 p.m. every Tuesday through October in the parking lot next to Webster Depot Park on Railroad Street. Grayson and her husband own Living in Joy, a café and gift shop in the former depot building.

Anyone receiving SNAP can take their electronic benefits card to Grayson at the welcome table set up next to the café/shop entrance. She will scan their card and give them two tokens for every dollar they choose to spend at the market. The tokens can be used to pay for vegetables and fruit from vendors that day.

Vendors turn in the tokens and are reimbursed from the grant.

Opening night of this year’s market was June 6 with almost 20 vendors on site.

That night, one family took advantage of the program to double their SNAP benefits.

“It is so new,” Grayson admitted.

She is trying to get the word out about the Double Up program, talking with organizers of the food pantry at Dunkirk’s Church of Nazarene and contacting a variety of area agencies and organizations.

“It’s going to grow,” she said confidently. “I just want families to know that they can show up and shop.”