A series of events promoting fresh fruit and vegetables to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants will conclude at the Maku‘u Farmers Market in Puna from 11 a.m.-noon Sunday.
A series of events promoting fresh fruit and vegetables to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants will conclude at the Maku‘u Farmers Market in Puna from 11 a.m.-noon Sunday.
Co-sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, the Hawaii Department of Health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (USDA SNAP), and the Kohala Center, the event promotes healthy diets, locally grown produce, and recipes to SNAP recipients. A cooking demonstration will show families how easy and economical it is to prepare healthy and nutritious meals with fresh produce grown and sold on Hawaii Island.
The first 200 customers to use their SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards for at least $5 of market tokens or scrip will receive an extra $5 to spend on fruits and vegetables. USDA SNAP provides nutrition education and assistance to low-income Americans to help them purchase and prepare healthier food.
SNAP EBT is accepted at seven Hawaii Island farmers markets: Maku‘u, Hawi, Hilo Coffee Mill, Keauhou, Kinoole, and Volcano.
For more information about SNAP and eligibility requirements, contact Alison Villasista at HOPE Services, 808-271-5129. Recipes, food preparation tips, and more information about healthy eating are available online at livebettertogether.org. Live Better Together is a collaboration of businesses, government organizations and community members with the mission of creating a healthier Hawaii.
Founded in 2000, the Kohala Center (http://www.kohalacenter.org) is an independent, community-based center for research, conservation, and education. We turn research and traditional knowledge into action, so that communities in Hawaii and around the world can thrive — ecologically, economically, culturally, and socially.