Your support could help Double Up Food Bucks in Oregon continue and expand. The program aims to put more healthy fresh fruit and vegetables on the plates of low income Oregonians while supporting local growers and businesses.
Oregon State Senate Committee hearings are scheduled for two Double Up Food Bucks bills. These bills seek to advocate for at least $3-million toward Double Up incentives at grocery stores, farmers markets, and farm-direct outlets.
The hearing for SB 440 & SB 555 (duplicate bills) will be on Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 3:15 pm in the Senate Committee On Human Services, Mental Health, and Recovery. If you support Double Up Food Bucks, this is the time to make your voice heard! Double Up Oregon leaders have asked for the co-op’s help in drumming up supporters to testify at the hearing. Here’s how:
- Provide written testimony is support of the bills. Click here for submission instructions and a template message to use if you wish. Written testimony should be submitted non later than 9am on Tuesday, February 2. You can submit the same testimony for both bills.
- Provide spoken testimony in support of the bills. This can be short and sweet (one-minute or less). Use this link to register to present spoken testimony on Tuesday, February 2 at 3:15pm.
If you have any questions, you can contact Ryan Schoonover at Oregon Food Bank rschoonover@oregonfoodbank.org
Double Up at the co-op
Astoria Co+op is the only grocery store in the lower Columbia region to offer Double Up Food Bucks. After success at farmer’s markets, the program extended to a small number of grocery stores in Oregon last spring.
Double Up matches the value of SNAP spent on fresh fruits and vegetables providing shoppers with credit for future produce purchases, up to $10 per shopping trip. SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps.
The Oregon Legislature approved $1.5 million in the 2019-2021 biennium budget for Double Up. The Oregon Food Bank is administering the Double Up grocery pilot program in cooperation with the Fair Food Network and Farmers Market Fund.
According to organizers, only 11% of Oregonians consume enough fruit and vegetables for a healthy life. For the one in six Oregonians experiencing food insecurity, eating the recommended servings of produce is not affordable. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of many serious and chronic conditions including heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
The co-op is a community-owned grocery store. The co-op accepts SNAP, offers Double Up Food Bucks and WIC. Anyone can shop (no membership needed).