News Release |
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DATE: July 31, 2024 |
CONTACT: Kathy Sautter 716 635 5577 |
| FIELD & FORK NETWORK & TOPS EXPAND PROGRAM IN ROCHESTER MAKING FRESH & FROZEN PRODUCE AVAILABLE | |
| ROCHESTER, NY - Field & Fork Network is proud to announce the expansion of their Double Up Food Bucks NY (DUFB) program. DUFB, which makes fresh and now even frozen fruits and vegetables more affordable, is now available at three additional Tops Friendly Markets (Tops) locations, in the Rochester, NY region. Tops SNAP customers at 285 Upper Falls Blvd., 450 West Ave., in Rochester, and 999 East Ridge Rd., in Irondequoit, NY will now have increased access to fresh and frozen affordable produce thanks to the City of Rochester’s Healthy Food Access Initiative. The Double Up Food Bucks Program will provide a $1 for $1 match on both fresh and now, for a limited time, frozen produce purchases - up to $5 per day. How the Double Up Food Bucks NY Program Works: • SNAP recipients simply shop for fresh and/or frozen produce* at the participating Tops locations. • When they use their EBT card to pay for eligible produce items, the Double Up Food Bucks program automatically matches their purchase dollar-for-dollar, up to $5 dollars. • A coupon is printed at check-out that can be used on a future visit, encouraging repeated engagement with the program. • No registration or additional steps are necessary, making the process seamless and removing any potential barriers to participation. *Frozen fruits and vegetables are offered for a limited time as the program is in a pilot program phase. Frozen produce must contain no additives. Tops Friendly Markets is the largest grocery store chain to participate in the Double Up Food Bucks program to date. This partnership was made possible because of the hard work of Assemblyman Demond Meeks, who has championed the program for the last three years and helped secure state funding. The State funding has allowed us to expand into new locations and reach more SNAP customers, where they shop. “For the third consecutive year, my colleagues and I successfully secured $2 million in funding for the Double Up Food Bucks New York program, said Assemblyman Demond Meeks. “This initiative not only provides financial assistance to low-income families but also promotes healthier eating habits by offering a $1 for $1 match on fresh produce purchases. This matching system can now expand to include frozen fruits and vegetables. I firmly believe that everyone deserves access to affordable and nutritious food and the Double Up Food Bucks Program represents a significant step towards fulfilling this objective. Together, we are taking concrete actions to combat food insecurity and ensure that our children and families can lead a healthy lifestyle. I would like to thank Double Up Food Bucks NY, Tops Friendly Markets, and my colleagues in government for their ongoing partnership.” “The Double Up Food Bucks program perfectly aligns with Tops’ mission of addressing the fundamental needs of the community in order to help eradicate hunger and enhance the health and well-being of families and children,” said Jeff Cady, Vice President of produce and floral for Northeast Shared Services, Northeast Grocery Incorporated’s (parent company of Tops), shared services group. “What better way to provide for our community than ensuring that community members have an easier way to affordably access fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables all while being rewarded for their healthier habits.” The frozen pilot is a public-private partnership with the City of Rochester, the National Grocers Association Foundation, and shopper intelligence leader Catalina, which delivers personalized content and incentives in real-time to shoppers based on their purchases tied to their EBT card through Tops’ in-store media network. The automated solution allows Double Up to distribute the incentive more equitably and removes the registration process, which can be a significant barrier to program participation. "Working with Tops Friendly Markets to pilot the Double Up Food Bucks program has been a priority for our organization for several years. We worked with Tops to identify the store locations with the highest SNAP usage," said Lisa French, Co-Founder & CEO of Field & Fork Network. "Our goal is to enhance food access, promote healthier eating habits, and support local farmers in the process. By providing a dollar-for-dollar match on produce purchases, we aim to empower individuals and families to make nutritious choices without financial constraints." Food insecurity has been an ongoing challenge faced by many communities, including those in Rochester. The lack of access to fresh, nutritious food options has adverse effects on the overall health and well-being of individuals and families. The Double Up Food Bucks NY program seeks to address this issue by empowering SNAP recipients to purchase more fruits and vegetables without straining their budgets. “What I love about the Double Up Bucks Frozen Food Pilot Program is that it's just common sense,” shared Rochester Mayor Malik D. Evans. “Food insecurity is a serious issue, and giving people nutritious and easy-to-prepare options when shopping is critical to a healthier, more equitable community.” Catalina’s Chief Revenue Officer Wes Bean added, “As value-conscious shoppers continue to grapple with high prices on many essential items, we are passionate about helping our partners at Tops Friendly Markets and the Double Up Food Bucks NY program alleviate food insecurity in the communities they serve by leveraging our technology to deliver incentives that enable shoppers to take home twice as many fresh fruits and vegetables.” Senator Samra G. Brouk (SD-55) said, “Nutritional assistance programs play an important role in helping local families who struggle to pay for groceries, and especially to be able to afford healthy fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. Our state investments in the Double Up Food Bucks Program, Field & Fork Network, and the City of Rochester’s Healthy Food Access Initiative increase local families’ purchasing power by doubling benefits. By increasing access to healthy produce, we are making sure that all members of our community can enjoy the benefits of a nutritious diet.” Senator Jeremy Cooney (SD-56) said, “The Double Up Food Bucks program has been instrumental in making healthier, locally sourced produce more affordable for SNAP recipients. I want to thank Assemblymember Meeks for leading the charge to fund this vital program and making sure all members of our community have the same access to these high-quality options.” Assemblymember Harry Bronson (AD-138) said, “Double Up Food Bucks is a Double Win for New Yorkers. It allows our families to Double Up their purchasing power and allows our farmers to Double Up the fresh produce they sell. I am committed to funding the Double Up Food Bucks program because it helps our young families, aging parents and students experiencing food insecurity to stretch their food purchasing power to include locally grown produce. We are an abundant agricultural region, and all our neighbors should be able to access and reap the health benefits of locally grown fruits and vegetables.” Assemblywoman Sarah Clark (AD-136) said, “Many members of our community live with food insecurity. The Double Up Food Bucks program is a lifeline, providing additional funds for SNAP purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables. Expanding the program to frozen fruit and vegetables is only going to increase access to healthy foods for participants who face additional challenges traveling to the right store or need food items to last longer at home. I'm grateful for the leadership of Assemblyman Meeks fighting for these dollars in our budget every year and thank you to Tops Friendly Markets for your partnership to ensure there is a participating location in my district and in neighborhoods throughout the community.” Monroe County Executive Adam Bello said, “Everyone deserves access to fresh and healthy food regardless of their income or zip code. We must all work together to reduce food insecurity and create equitable access to nutritious foods. On behalf of the residents of Monroe County, we deeply appreciate the collaboration between Field & Fork Network, Tops Friendly Markets and Assemblyman Demond Meeks; their collective efforts are ensuring SNAP beneficiaries can access more quality produce.” “Our team at the Department of Human Services works each day to distribute these essential benefits to support our community members who struggle Just putting three meals a day on the table,” said Monroe County Commissioner of the Department of Human Services Thalia Wright. “Too many members of our community are struggling to meet a basic need for themselves and their children as food prices and housing costs continue to rise. With this expansion of participating vendors to include the Tops Friendly Markets locations, families can now have greater access to nutritious options without the impossible choice between affordability and health.” Join us in celebrating the launch of the Double Up Food Bucks NY program at Tops and witness how this simple but powerful incentive is making fresh and frozen produce more accessible to SNAP recipients. Together, we can create a healthier and more equitable food future for our communities. The first Tops locations to offer Double Up Food Bucks launched in Buffalo, NY (1275 Jefferson Ave. in Buffalo, NY, and 1000 Portage Road in Niagara Falls, NY) in 2023. To date the programs' redemption rate has exceeded expectations with 25% redemption rate which is 3-4 times the normal rate of similar programs. ### About Double Up Food Bucks NY The Double Up Food Bucks program is a statewide program, administered by Field & Fork Network, that provides a dollar-for-dollar match on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) purchases, up to $20 per day that can be used to purchase local fresh fruits and vegetables. The program is a free resource for anyone receiving SNAP benefits, that increases purchasing power by doubling their benefits. Double Up Food Bucks has contributed to over $10 million in healthy food sales with $2.6 million going directly to NY farmers. The program is available at over 230+ locations, across 32 counties, and has served over 100,000 SNAP Shoppers. For more information visit: www.doubleupnys.com Social media: @DoubleUpNYS About Tops Friendly Markets Headquartered in Williamsville, NY, Tops Markets operates a robust network of 152 grocery stores spanning New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont, including one franchise location. As one of Western New York’s largest employers, and with over 14,000 associates across its entire footprint, Tops is committed to delivering sustainably sourced, premium-quality products. Beyond retail, Tops is committed to the communities it serves through initiatives focused on hunger relief, health improvement, youth education, and environmental sustainability. Discover more at www.topsmarkets.com. About Catalina Catalina is a leader in shopper intelligence and highly targeted in-store, TV and digital media that personalizes the shopper journey. Powered by the world's richest real-time shopper database, Catalina helps retailers, CPG brands and agencies optimize every stage of media planning, execution and measurement to deliver $6.1 billion in consumer value annually. Catalina has no higher priority than ensuring the privacy and security of the data entrusted to the company and maintaining consumer trust. Catalina has operations in the United States, Costa Rica, and Europe. To learn more, visit www.catalina.com.
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