LIHU‘E — The 2-for-1 Electronics Benefits Transfer program kicked in Wednesday, but Sasha Figueira of the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) did not anticipate the full effect until the weekend. Figueira said most SNAP recipients do
LIHU‘E — The 2-for-1 Electronics Benefits Transfer program kicked in Wednesday, but Sasha Figueira of the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) did not anticipate the full effect until the weekend.
Figueira said most SNAP recipients do not get their funds until the third or fifth day of the month, which coincided with her Saturday appearance at Kaua‘i Community Market at Kaua‘i Community College. The market is coordinated by the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau
“We started the program on the first of the month so vendors would gain experience dealing with both the coupons and the EBT tokens,” Figueira said. “Today at the KCC market, I think we are going to be busy.”
Despite not seeing the full effect of the program, Figueira said it’s already yielding results. The Kapa‘a Sunshine Sarket reported $295 in EBT sales with $65 in coupons distributed Wednesday.
The second market, the Lihu‘e Sunshine Market at Vidinha Stadium parking lot, Friday recorded $145 in EBT sales with $25 in coupons distributed.
Figueira said following the close of the Kaua‘i Community Market, where $100 in coupons was distributed, the total EBT sales from all three markets totaled $645.
“At the two markets, Kapa‘a and Lihu‘e, there were people who said they are new shoppers to the markets and came after reading about it in the newspaper and hearing it on the radio,” Figueira said.
Under the 2-for-1 EBT program, customers purchasing EBT tokens will be offered a $1 matching coupon for each dollar spent on their EBT card, up to a maximum of $5 per day per site.
There are some rules to the promotion. The coupon is only good for the date it is received and if a customer wishes to use a coupon, they must also use a token at the same time.
Any unused coupons must be turned in to the EBT representative at any of the four participating markets — the Kapa‘a Sunshine Market, the Lihu‘e Sunshine Market, the Koloa Sunshine Market and the Kaua‘i Community Market at KCC.
The 2-for-1 EBT program is part of a one-year pilot program which allows SNAP recipients to use their EBT cards at selected farmers markets around Kaua‘i.
Funding for the one-year program comes from a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture grant to the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank and covers the Kapa‘a, Lihu‘e and Koloa sunshine markets. A Get Fit Kaua‘i-Communities Putting Prevention to Work grant allows the program to operate at the Kaua‘i Community Market at KCC.
Money for the 2-for-1 program is derived from funds approved by the Kaua‘i County Council, and the program will operate until the fund is exhausted, states a food bank news release.
Call Figueira at 246-3809, ext. 100, or email sfigueira@kauaifoodbank.org for more information on the EBT or 2-for-1 EBT programs.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
