Lexington Local Food Collaborative Inc

SNAP PROGRAM - "THE COLLABORATIVE" ACCEPTS SNAP/EBT (SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM) AT THEFARMERS' MARKET, ALLOWING SNAP RECIPIENTS TO USE THEIR FEDERAL BENEFITS TO PURCHASE LOCALLY-GROWN AND -PRODUCED FOOD. OUR PREDECESSOR ORGANIZATION, THE LEXINGTON FARMERS' MARKET, WAS THE FIRST FARMERS' MARKET IN METROWEST BOSTON TO ACCEPT SNAP BENEFITS, ENABLING LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES TO SHOP AT THE FARMERS' MARKET. IT WAS ALSO ONE OF THE FIRST MARKETS TO ALLOW SNAP SHOPPERS TO USE MATCHING FUNDS, SUBSIDIZED BY THE MARKET, TO SHOP FOR SNAP-ELIGIBLE FOODS, AND ALSO INSTITUTED AN INNOVATIVE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE AN EXTRA $10 AT THE END OF EACH MONTH TO "CLOSE THE GAP" FOR SNAP CUSTOMERS WHEN FUNDS WERE RUNNING LOW. "THE COLLABORATIVE" IS COMMITTED TO CONTINUING THESE IMPORTANT PROGRAMS.IN 2017, "THE COLLABORATIVE" MATCHED UP TO $15 WEEKLY IN SNAP BENEFITS AND HAS SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDED THE REACH OF BOTH THE SNAP MATCH AND CLOSE THE GAP, WORKING TO BUILD AN EVEN STRONGER AND MORE ROBUST PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO ARE FOOD INSECURE. INCREASED OUTREACH AND PARTNERSHIPS, ALONG WITH PARTICIPATION IN STATE PROGRAMS TO INCENTIVIZE SHOPPING AT FARMERS' MARKETS, HAS RESULTED IN A 150% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SNAP/EBT CUSTOMERSPARTICIPATING IN THE MARKET'S MATCHING PROGRAM (AS COMPARED TO OUR PREDECESSOR ORGANIZATION'S 2016 OPERATING YEAR). "THE COLLABORATIVE" IS ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN A THREE-YEAR GRANT THROUGH THE USDA FOOD & NUTRITION SERVICE AND THE FARMERS' MARKET COALITION THAT COVERS THE COST OF EBT EQUIPMENT AND AT SERVICES TO PROCESS SNAP TRANSACTIONS AT FARMERS' MARKETS AND FARMSTANDS.THE EXPANSION OF "THE COLLABORATIVE'S" SNAP PROGRAM OUTREACH LED TO AN INCREASE IN CUSTOMERS COMING FROM DIFFERENT ETHNIC COMMUNITIES, IDENTIFYING A NEED FOR ULTILINGUAL FLYERS AND RESOURCES IN ORDER TO PROVIDE VISITORS WITH RELEVANT INFORMATION REGARDLESS OF THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE. IN RESPONSE, THE MARKET WORKED WITH MULTILINGUAL VOLUNTEERS TO PROVIDE TRANSLATED SIGNAGE AND DOCUMENTS TO NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS. BASED ON FINANCIAL MODELS, IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE INCREASE IN CUSTOMERS WITH SNAP BENEFITS AND DEMAND FOR MATCHING FUNDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE IN ALL 2018 MARKETS HELD BY "THECOLLABORATIVE". THE SNAP PROGRAM WILL BE EXPANDED TO THE 2018 SMALL YET MIGHTY WINTER MARKET, FURTHER INCREASING THE AVAILABILITY OF LOCALLY-GROWN AND - PRODUCED FOODS TO LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES.BIKE TO MARKET PROGRAM - "THE COLLABORATIVE" PARTNERS MONTHLY WITH FRIENDS OF LEXINGTON BIKEWAYS, A NONPROFIT 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATION THAT "PROMOTES AND SUPPORTS BIKING AND THE SHARED USE OF BICYCLE ROUTES IN AND AROUND LEXINGTON". ON BIKE TO MARKET DAY, "THE COLLABORATIVE" PROVIDES TENT SPACE AND A BIKE CORRAL TO FRIENDS OF LEXINGTON BIKEWAYS TO OFFER CONVENIENT BIKE PARKING FOR CYCLISTS AT THE MARKET AND SHARE INFORMATION ON CYCLING SAFETY AND BIKE ROUTES. BICYCLISTS WHO USE THE VALET ARE GIVEN A $2 MARKET GIFT CERTIFICATE TO USE TOWARDS MARKET PURCHASES; FUNDS FOR MARKET GIFT CERTIFICATES ARE SPLIT 50/50 BETWEEN "THE COLLABORATIVE AND FRIENDS OF LEXINGTON BIKEWAYS. THIS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP BRINGS AN AVERAGE OF THIRTY CYCLISTS TO THE MARKET EACH BIKE TO MARKET DAY, REDUCING THE NUMBER OF CARS ON LOCAL ROADS AND EASING CONGESTION AROUND THE MARKET SITE.KIDS COOKING GREEN/FRIENDS OF CARY MEMORIAL LIBRARY PROGRAM - KIDS COOKING GREEN, A LOCAL ORGANIZATION TEACHING PRE-K THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN ABOUT NUTRITION AND HANDS-ON COOKING, LEADS A VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL EVENTS AT THE MARKET DURING THE REGULAR SEASON. TWICE A YEAR, KIDS COOKING GREEN PARTNERS WITH CARY MEMORIAL LIBRARY TO BRING EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS TO THE MARKET FREE OF CHARGE TO PARTICIPANTS. FAMILIES IN ATTENDANCE ARE GIVEN $2 MARKET GIFT CERTIFICATES FUNDED BY "THE COLLABORATIVE" TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPANTS TO SHOP AT THE MARKET FOR NEW FOODS AND PRACTICE WHAT THEY LEARNED DURING THE WORKSHOPS.