Tallahassee Democrat: Feeding Florida awarded grant to expand program

Special to the Democrat
August 6, 2018 

Feeding Florida, the statewide network of food banks feeding every community every day, has been awarded a Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive grant to expand and build sustainability of Fresh Access Bucks, Florida’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Feeding Florida’s network is committed to ensuring all food insecure individuals have access to a consistent, healthy food supply within their environment—whether that’s through the networks strong charitable infrastructure or retail outlets or through government partnerships. 

Feeding Florida’s statewide network understands the multiple facets to hunger and maintains connections with food access organizations, government agencies, farmers markets, and retail grocery and convenience stores which provides the ideal synergy to spearhead the management of the next phase of the Fresh Access Bucks program.  

“Feeding Florida is excited to enhance the commitment of our network to ensure access to Florida fruits and vegetables to those in need with the expansion  of the Fresh Access Bucks initiative,” said Robin Safley, executive director of Feeding Florida.

Florida is currently eighth in the country for child food insecurity and 10th in the nation for overall food insecurity. Florida is also home to the second largest fruit and vegetable production in the country.

The FINI grant will allow Feeding Florida to address this issue by building upon the current SNAP operator capacity, expanding the Fresh Access Bucks program reach, improving and maintaining a supportive stakeholder network, and designing a model incentive program for Fresh Access Bucks in grocery stores. 

To learn more about Feeding Florida, visit www.FeedingFlorida.org.

To read more: https://www.tallahassee.com/story/life/wellness/2018/08/06/feeding-florida-awarded-grant-expand-program/914096002/