May 3, 2019
The Double Up Food Bucks program we helped to bring to New Jersey last July continues to gain in participation as we approach the one-year mark.
Through a partnership with the national nonprofit Fair Food Network, Double Up Food Bucks matches the value of NJ SNAP dollars spent on fresh fruits and vegetables, helping low-income families bring home more nutritious foods. SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps.
With funding from the Community Foundation, Victoria Foundation, The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, and many individual New Jerseyans, the Double Up Food Bucks program began running in July 2018 at these locations:
- ShopRite of Newark: 206 Springfield Ave., Newark, NJ 07103
- ShopRite of East Orange: 533 Martin Luther King Blvd., East Orange, NJ 07019
- ShopRite of Kearny: 100 Passaic Ave., Kearny, NJ 07032
- ShopRite of Hillside: 370 Route 22, West Hillside, NJ 07205
Update on Progress
We are pleased to share that since the introduction of Double Up Food Bucks, these stores have vastly improved their redemption rates and the impact of the program on Newark-area families continues to grow. Double Up is now running year-round and coupons are distributed using a 6-week rolling expiration date from the date of distribution.
Since July 2018:
- SNAP shoppers earned approximately $98,000 in Double Up coupons on purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables.
- SNAP shoppers spent more than $40,0000 worth of Double Up coupons on more fresh produce.
- There have been a total of 26,618 transactions (earning + spending) with more than 1,800 unique spending households.
Cumulative redemption amounts and rates for individual stores from January through March 2019 are:
- East Orange: $5,185 in redemptions, 44% redemption rate
- Hillside: $1,230 in redemptions, 29% redemption rate
- Kearny: $4,748 in redemptions, 30% redemption rate
- Newark: $2,848 in redemptions, 93% redemption rate
The total number of in-store customer service desk inquiries about the program were:
- East Orange: 552
- Hillside: 61
- Kearny: 134
- Newark: 226