By Staff Reports
(Honolulu) – Kalihi Valley shoppers were rewarded for making healthy food choices today at the Kalihi Valley People’s Open Market (POM) celebration, hosted by the City Department of Parks and Recreation, Kalihi Valley non-profits, including Kokua Kalihi Valley, the State Department of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The event highlighted the availability and affordability of fresh fruits and vegetables to customers of the Kalihi Valley POM, 1911 Kamehameha IV Road. In addition to its low prices for locally grown products, the Kalihi Valley market offered a “double your dollars” bonus, up to a maximum $15 purchase, to anyone using their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Electronic Benefits Transfer (SNAP-EBT) cards.
SNAP-EBT is part of a national food stamp program that provides consumers with discounted products through participating retailers, including grocery stores and farmer’s markets. The goal of SNAP and the City’s POM is to improve the likelihood that persons eligible for SNAP will make healthy food choices within a limited budget and choose physically active lifestyles. SNAP plays a vital role in helping to improve nutrition in the nation, particularly among low-income households.
The City expects to offer this two-for-one promotional discount at the Kalihi Valley location through the end of this year, and possibly longer, thanks to the generosity of Kokua Kalihi Valley and other non-profits. “We’d like to encourage healthy food choices and let people know that these products are accessible and affordable at the City’s Open Market locations,” said Ned Yonamine, supervisor of the City’s 24 POM locations.
Anyone intersted in applying for SNAP-EBT benefits can go to the USDA website: http://www.snap-step1.usda.gov/fns for more information.
Saturday’s event included food demonstrations, samples, and giveaways, SNAP-EBT card signups, and gardening workshops. Future events will include celebrity cookoffs, using products from the People’s Open Market.
