Clifton, NJ - City Green’s statewide Good Food Bucks nutrition incentive program, which gives customers greater purchasing power when they use SNAP/EBT to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, is now available in Hackensack, Bergen County, providing families with an opportunity to purchase even more fresh food.
Hackensack Market, a mid-size grocery store located at 120 Passaic St. in Hackensack recently launched their Good Food Bucks program. Customers who use SNAP/EBT can receive a 50% discount on fresh fruits and vegetables through the Good Food Bucks program when they shop at Hackensack Market on Tuesdays and Thursdays, getting up to $10 off each time they shop.
The launch of Good Food Bucks at Hackensack Market comes at a critical time as increased food prices are disproportionately impacting low-income communities in New Jersey. This partnership between a non-profit organization and a local business owner has resulted in an exciting model for addressing fresh food affordability and nutrition security while supporting small businesses.
“We’re really excited to offer our customers the Good Food Bucks discount program at our store!” Tej Patel, owner and operator of Hackensack Market shared. “Good Food Bucks helps our customers stretch their food dollars and buy more fresh produce. This program is a win-win!”
Hackensack Market is joined by 24 grocery stores, farm stands, and farmers’ markets in New Jersey that offer Good Food Bucks to customers who use SNAP/EBT. Started by City Green of Clifton, NJ in 2011, Good Food Bucks provide shoppers who use SNAP with coupons or discounts for fresh fruits and vegetables, allowing customers to double their purchasing power for fresh, healthy produce.
“The team at Hackensack Market has played a key role in championing this program for the local community, and together we are so excited to announce this as the first nutrition incentive program available in Bergen County!” Lisa Martin, City Green’s Director of Food Access shared. “Hackensack is a vibrant and diverse city, and making Good Food Bucks available to shoppers in Hackensack means more of our neighbors will be able to put more good food on their tables. ”
Since 2016, customers have purchased $206,000 worth of fresh fruits and vegetables at local farmers' markets and grocery stores using Good Food Bucks. In 2021 alone, $91,000 of Good Food Bucks were redeemed for fresh fruits and veggies at participating sites. Good Food Bucks has demonstrated that SNAP nutrition incentives support shoppers, farmers, and grocers across New Jersey, helping build healthier and more equitable communities.
In 2021, City Green raised $1 Million dollars in federal USDA GusNIP funding and private foundation support to scale the program into the future, with a goal of bringing Good Food Bucks to 40 retailers by the end of 2024.
Good Food Bucks at Hackensack Market, located at 120 Passaic St. in Hackensack, are available Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM. To learn more about Good Food Bucks and to find an authorized partner near you, visit goodfoodbucks.com. Any farmers' markets or fresh food retailers that want to offer Good Food Bucks to their customers can reach out to City Green at info@city-green.org.
City Green is a 501(c)3 urban farming and gardening organization based in Clifton, New Jersey working to revitalize urban areas through agriculture and educational programming. It offers practical, technical, and financial resources in support of environmental stewardship, equitable access to healthy food, and ecologically sustainable communities. For more information contact Jasmine Moreano, Director of Community Engagement and Advocacy or visit www.citygreenonline.org.