CHARLOTTE, N.C. —- Mecklenburg County is making sure recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have access to fresh food in November.
Funding for SNAP was set to run out October 31 due to the government shutdown.
Starting November 1, Mecklenburg County Public Health and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Food Policy Council are partnering to offer Mecklenburg County SNAP users $50 in tokens to shop for fresh produce and other eligible food at five winter farmers markets, including Charlotte Regional Farmers Market.
This announcement was made prior to Friday when two federal judges ruled that the Trump administration must continue paying for SNAP.
SNAP recipients at the market buy tokens using their EBT card and then use it with vendors.
Chris Kiker, the owner of Fat Boy’s Produce, is one of them. He’s proud to have been offering his products to SNAP recipients.
“To make sure they get fresh produce, fresh products,” Kiker said.
He’s also encouraged the market is participating in a contingency plan to continue helping SNAP recipients after funding runs out.
“That’s very great to be able to do this out here to help the market and help the people,” Kiker said.
The current uncertainty for food aid funding worries Kiker and Nehemiah Taylor at Temple Restoration and Rainbow Water. He and his family own the business focused on holistic medicine and health food.
“I’m a little worried for, you know, the economic state for our customers, at least because a lot of people prefer to go to the farmers market over the grocery store to get those clean foods that they want to eat. And the tokens have been a great tool to help them be able to afford those,” Taylor said.
Market Manager Amie Newsome said when the program had normal funding, SNAP users could double their SNAP spending at the market, benefiting people in need and vendors.
“Let’s say that they want to get $20 worth of tokens with the Double Bucks program, they’re able to get $40. That amount helps them to get more food, but it also increases by $20 the amount that they’re spending with our local vendors,” Newsome said.
This year alone, Kiker said $10,000 came from customers using SNAP funds.
Kiker and Taylor hope the shutdown ends soon but are glad to provide a reprieve for customers in the meantime.
“A lot of their money has to go toward rent and bills so some people solely rely on SNAP to be able to get their groceries. If they’re not able to get their groceries here, then some people might not be able to put food on the table,” Taylor said.
Charlotte Regional Farmers Market will have volunteers helping with the SNAP tokens from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on November 1. People can access them after presenting their EBT card and photo ID.
Other participating markets are: Davidson Farmers Market, Matthews Community Farmers Market, South End Farmers Market and Uptown Farmers Market.
According to Mecklenburg County, the contingency program will go on while supplies last and officials estimate it will aid at least 500 families.
Estephany Escobar
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