Progress 04/01/15 to 03/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience: In its pilot season, the Chester County Food Bank'sFresh2You! Mobile Market brought fresh fruits and vegetables to two communities inChester County, PA that lack access to high-quality,affordable produce. The market operated at five locations each week from July to November of 2015. Three marketswereheld in the City of Coatesville,a predominantly urban area that has been deemed a Food Desert by the USDA; and two marketswere held inHoney Brook Township,an area characterized by ruralpoverty. Both of these communities lack major supermarkets or other fresh food retailers, and many of the residents face significant barriers related to transportation and a high cost of living. CCFB sought to promote the mobile market amonglow-income households in the target communities by working closely withpartner organizations in Honey Brook and Coatesville, includinga local WIC office, healthcare providers, andother social service agencies. Prior to and during the market season, our staffheld outreach meetings, created advertising materials and attended community events to inform the public about the market locations and schedule. To encouragelow-income households to visit the market, we sought to raiseawareness that the market would acceptWIC/Senior FMNP vouchers;and thatfinancial incentives would beavailable forcustomers shopping withSNAP benefits. To motivatecustomers, includingSNAP receipients, to purchase highly nutritiousfresh produce, weconducted weekly cooking demonstrations and offerededucationalresources at all markets. Changes/Problems:In its first season, the Fresh2You! Mobile Market experienced several challenges that impacted general market operations and the implementation of the SNAP incentive programs. Receiving notice of the FINI Grant award in spring of 2015 left the Chester County Food Bank limited time in which to conducting outreach among residentsof Coatesville and Honey Brook. CCFB also experienced unexpected delays in acquiring the Fresh2You! market vehicle; and the market opened one month later than plannedbecause of the late start to thePennsylvania growing season in 2015. Raising public awareness about the five new mobile market locations proved to be a longer process than anticipated. Because no farmers' markets acceptingfood assistance benefits had existed previously in either of the target communities, it took our staff and partners substantial time to informresidents that the Fresh2You! marketaccepted EBT and FMNP vouchers. Outreach proved particularly difficult in Honey Brook due to the rural nature of the area. The community lacks central gathering places and networks of communication; low-income residents also face barriers related to transportation. Customer attendance was so low at one of the Honey Brook market sites during the first half of the summer that our staff changed the location midway through season in an effort to improve visibility. Community outreach was more successful in Coatesville, where a stronger network of social service providers and other partners were able to promote the mobile market to low-income households. Although our organization purchased a refurbished food truck for the project in March of 2015, necessary renovations to the vehicle's interior were not completed until the end of the year. We were fortunate to beable to operate the market with an existing CCFB delivery truck, butthe absence of the brightly colored truck with the 'Fresh2You!' logo resulted in decreased visibility and lost opportunities to build brand recognition in the community. Even as customer attendance increased over the course of the season, our staff found that most people had not been aware of the 'Double Dollars' and the 'Fresh+ Rewards' incentive programs prior to visitingthe market for the first time. Although redemption of WIC and Senior FMNP vouchers was relatively high in the pilot season, rates of SNAP usage and participation in the incentive programs were much lower than expected. The late start to the market season also contributed to lower total market sales than projected for the year. In planning for the 2016 season, CCFB will work with new and existing community partners to explore modifications to the market locations and schedule that might increase customer accessibility. Based on feedback from customers and partner organizations, the market will offer a wider variety of fresh, healthy foods - grains, proteins and other staple items-in addition to produce. We will also dedicate more staff time and resources to increasingoutreach related to SNAP acceptance and incentives among low-income residents. After attempting to operate the mobile market with a seasonal, hourly Market Coordinator in the pilot year, CCFB has committed to making the position full-time and permanent in 2016. During the winter of 2017, Wendy Gaynorwas hired as the newDirector of Food Security Initiatives (FSI) at CCFB to oversee several programs including the Fresh2You Mobile Market. The transition, with final reporting due, proved to be difficult as gaining access to the portal for the Final Report submission wasa process. The winter of 2017 was spent with the creation of materials to use for the upcoming pilot season of the Fruit and Vegetable Prescription program (FVRx) in collaboration with a local clinic. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Chester County Food Bank will share results fromthe Fresh2You! Mobile Market's pilot season with its organizationalpartners, funders and other stakeholdersin spring of 2016. Our staff will disseminate a report on the project's key activities and outcomes to community members and groups that wereinvolved with the Mobile Marketin the target areas of Coatesville and Honey Brook. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In 2015, the Chester County Food Bank (CCFB) launched the Fresh2You! Mobile Market to expand access to fruits and vegetables among low-income residents of two underserved communities inChester County, PA. Our staffcollaborated with partner organizations to raise awareness about thefive market sites and the availability of SNAP incentives. To motivate low-income customersto purchase fruits and vegetables, market staff developed and implemented a two-tier incentive program. Staff alsoprovided nutrition educationat market sitesto increase customers' knowledge of how to select and prepareseasonal fruits and vegetables. OBJECTIVE #1: To increase the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables among SNAP recipients in Chester County, PA Engaged network of community partners in project planning During the planning phase ofthe Fresh2You! Mobile Market, CCFB sought input fromlocalpartner organizationon how the project could servelow-income householdsin the areas of Coatesville and Honey Brook. Market staff met with social service providers, government agencies, and other communitygroups to chose fivemarket locations that would be accessible to local residents. Collaborated with community partners to conduct outreach and marketing CCFB collaborated with local partnerson effective methods of promoting the mobile market to potential customers, particularly SNAP recipients. A'Fresh2You!' logo and artwork were developed toprovide branding for the project. Our staff and partners distributed promotional materials, including flyers and signs that advertised the acceptance of SNAP, at public locations, social service agencies, and popular community events. Established five mobile market sites accepting EBTin two communities lacking access to fresh, affordable produce In the spring of 2015, CCFB purchased a used food truck and contracted with a local company to outfit the interior with cold storage facilities. Our organization became a SNAP-authorized retailer and wedeveloped evaluation tools with which to gather feedback on the project's pilot year. After a one-month delay in opening due to the late start of the growing season, CCFB operated five weekly mobile market sites from July to November 2015. The Fresh2You! Mobile Market faced several significantchallenges in its pilot year. After receiving notice of the FINI Grant award in spring of 2015, CCFB had limited time in which to hire a Market Coordinator and conduct community outreach. We also experienced delays in acquiring the market vehicle, requiring the projectto operate withan existing CCFB truck for the season. The absence of the 'Fresh2You!' logo resulted in decreased visibility and brand recognition in the target communities. However, partner organizations played a critical role in promoting the projectto low-income residents; over 50% of customerslearned about the markets from a local agency.Sales data and customer feedback demonstrate that Fresh2You! reachedlow-income residents in the target communities. About 50% of customers surveyed were SNAP recipients, and 63% of total market salescame from SNAP or WIC/Senior FMNP vouchers. Althoughattendance and sales were lower than anticipated, the mobile market created opportunities for 1,000 customers at nearly 100 markets to access fruits and vegetables. 91% of customers found it"very easy" to get to the market, and 100% of customers found pricesto be affordable. OBJECTIVE #2: To implement a two-tierincentive program to increasefruit and vegetable purchases among customers shopping with SNAP benefits Offered 'Double Dollars' on all SNAP purchases During the 'Fresh2You! pilot season, customers shopping with SNAP benefits received a dollar-for-dollar match (up to $10) on produce purchasesat the point of sale. CCFB worked with partner organizations to raiseawareness ofthe incentives in the target communities. Clear signage about the 'Double Dollars' was displayed at the markets, and staff verbally advised new customers about the SNAP matching opportunity. Developed and implemented rewards program to incentivize purchases of highly nutritious produce CCFB created the 'Fresh+' Rewards Program to encourage customers, including SNAP recipients,to purchase nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables such as beets andleafy greens. Under the original program design, we had planned to award customers points for purchasing pre-selected "highly nutritious" items; the points could later be redeemed for reward items. However, this system proved too complicated to implement in the project's pilot year. Establishing five new market sites where there had previously been no farmers' markets that accepted EBTleft staff with made it difficult to implementa complex incentive program. Midway through the season, we introduced a simplified version of the 'Fresh+' Rewards, offeringsmall cooking-related items at the point of sale for purchases of "highly nutritious" fruits or vegetables. Purchases were recorded on customer loyalty cards; after six marketvisits, participants were eligible to select a bonus reward such as olive oil or a cookbook. Purchases with SNAP and FMNP vouchers accounted for 63% of total market sales. Despite the SNAP incentive program, FMNP vouchers accounted for the majority of sales from food assistance benefits. This trend may be attributed to large one-time uses of FMNP vouchers and client preference for spending their vouchers before using their SNAP benefits.Many customers indicated that they purchased 'Fresh+' fruits and vegetables to receive the reward items, and severalnoted that 'Fresh+' was their favorite aspect of the market. 81% of customers reported that they had been eating more fruits and vegetables after attending the markets. In the market's second season, it will be critical to intensify SNAP outreach and to promote the incentive programs.While SNAP customers surveyed named "to use SNAP benefits" as their second most popular reason for attending the market, SNAP sales were much lower than expected. Although the 'Fresh+' Rewards Program was implemented only halfway through the season, over 150 customers enrolled and several earned the additional bonus items. The simplified 'Fresh+' structure provided immediate incentive to purchase nutrient-dense produce and motivation to return to the market in the future. Helping participants to select reward items also created opportunities forstaff to initiate conversation about cooking and healthy food choices. OBJECTIVE #3: To increase intake of fruits and vegetables among SNAP customers by providing nutrition education at market sites Seasonal recipe cards and educational resourceson topics such as shopping on a limited budget were offered at all market sites throughout the season. Market staff and student nutrition interns held cooking demonstrations at 3-5 markets each week to encourage customers to sample unfamiliar fruits and vegetables and to highlight the nutrient-dense items featured in the 'Fresh+' Rewards Program. Our staff recorded multiple comments from customers expressing appreciation for the healthyrecipes each week. Over 60% of customers reporting having taken a recipe or handout from the market;and 68% reported having tasted a food sample. Feedback collected also indicates that the nutrition education activities improved attitudes toward and increased consumption of fresh produce amongcustomers. In an end of season survey,81% of customers reported that they had been eating more fruits and vegetables because of the market. Nearly 100% of customers believed that increasing produce intake would be good for their family'shealth; and 93% stated that they were interested in nutrition or health education.
Publications
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Progress 04/01/15 to 03/31/16
Outputs
Target Audience: In its pilot season, the Chester County Food Bank'sFresh2You! Mobile Market brought fresh fruits and vegetables to two communities inChester County, PA that lack access to high-quality,affordable produce. The market operated at five locations each week from July to November of 2015. Three marketswereheld in the City of Coatesville,a predominantly urban area that has been deemed a Food Desert by the USDA; and two marketswere held inHoney Brook Township,an area characterized by ruralpoverty. Both of these communities lack major supermarkets or other fresh food retailers, and many of the residents face significant barriers related to transportation and a high cost of living. CCFB sought to promote the mobile market amonglow-income households in the target communities by working closely withpartner organizations in Honey Brook and Coatesville, includinga local WIC office, healthcare providers, andother social service agencies. Prior to and during the market season, our staffheld outreach meetings, created advertising materials and attended community events to inform the public about the market locations and schedule. To encouragelow-income households to visit the market, we sought to raiseawareness that the market would acceptWIC/Senior FMNP vouchers;and thatfinancial incentives would beavailable forcustomers shopping withSNAP benefits. To motivatecustomers, includingSNAP receipients, to purchase highly nutritiousfresh produce, weconducted weekly cooking demonstrations and offerededucationalresources at all markets. Changes/Problems:In its first season, the Fresh2You! Mobile Market experienced several challenges that impacted general market operations and the implementation of the SNAP incentive programs. Receiving notice of the FINI Grant award in spring of 2015 left the Chester County Food Bank limited time in which to conducting outreach among residentsof Coatesville and Honey Brook. CCFB also experienced unexpected delays in acquiring the Fresh2You! market vehicle; and the market opened one month later than plannedbecause of the late start to thePennsylvania growing season in 2015. Raising public awareness about the five new mobile market locations proved to be a longer process than anticipated. Because no farmers' markets acceptingfood assistance benefits had existed previously in either of the target communities, it took our staff and partners substantial time to informresidents that the Fresh2You! marketaccepted EBT and FMNP vouchers. Outreach proved particularly difficult in Honey Brook due to the rural nature of the area. The community lacks central gathering places and networks of communication; low-income residents also face barriers related to transportation. Customer attendance was so low at one of the Honey Brook market sites during the first half of the summer that our staff changed the location midway through season in an effort to improve visibility. Community outreach was more successful in Coatesville, where a stronger network of social service providers and other partners were able to promote the mobile market to low-income households. Although our organization purchased a refurbished food truck for the project in March of 2015, necessary renovations to the vehicle's interior were not completed until the end of the year. We were fortunate to beable to operate the market with an existing CCFB delivery truck, butthe absence of the brightly colored truck with the 'Fresh2You!' logo resulted in decreased visibility and lost opportunities to build brand recognition in the community. Even as customer attendance increased over the course of the season, our staff found that most people had not been aware of the 'Double Dollars' and the 'Fresh+ Rewards' incentive programs prior to visitingthe market for the first time. Although redemption of WIC and Senior FMNP vouchers was relatively high in the pilot season, rates of SNAP usage and participation in the incentive programs were much lower than expected. The late start to the market season also contributed to lower total market sales than projected for the year. In planning for the 2016 season, CCFB will work with new and existing community partners to explore modifications to the market locations and schedule that might increase customer accessibility. Based on feedback from customers and partner organizations, the market will offer a wider variety of fresh, healthy foods - grains, proteins and other staple items-in addition to produce. We will also dedicate more staff time and resources to increasingoutreach related to SNAP acceptance and incentives among low-income residents. After attempting to operate the mobile market with a seasonal, hourly Market Coordinator in the pilot year, CCFB has committed to making the position full-time and permanent in 2016. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Chester County Food Bank will share results fromthe Fresh2You! Mobile Market's pilot season with its organizationalpartners, funders and other stakeholdersin spring of 2016. Our staff will disseminate a report on the project's key activities and outcomes to community members and groups that wereinvolved with the Mobile Marketin the target areas of Coatesville and Honey Brook. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In 2015, the Chester County Food Bank (CCFB) launched the Fresh2You! Mobile Market to expand access to fruits and vegetables among low-income residents of two underserved communities inChester County, PA. Our staffcollaborated with partner organizations to raise awareness about thefive market sites and the availability of SNAP incentives. To motivate low-income customersto purchase fruits and vegetables, market staff developed and implemented a two-tier incentive program. Staff alsoprovided nutrition educationat market sitesto increase customers' knowledge of how to select and prepareseasonal fruits and vegetables. OBJECTIVE #1: To increase the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables among SNAP recipients in Chester County, PA Engaged network of community partners in project planning During the planning phase ofthe Fresh2You! Mobile Market, CCFB sought input fromlocalpartner organizationon how the project could servelow-income householdsin the areas of Coatesville and Honey Brook. Market staff met with social service providers, government agencies, and other communitygroups to chose fivemarket locations that would be accessible to local residents. Collaborated with community partners to conduct outreach and marketing CCFB collaborated with local partnerson effective methods of promoting the mobile market to potential customers, particularly SNAP recipients. A'Fresh2You!' logo and artwork were developed toprovide branding for the project. Our staff and partners distributed promotional materials, including flyers and signs that advertised the acceptance of SNAP, at public locations, social service agencies, and popular community events. Established five mobile market sites accepting EBTin two communities lacking access to fresh, affordable produce In the spring of 2015, CCFB purchased a used food truck and contracted with a local company to outfit the interior with cold storage facilities. Our organization became a SNAP-authorized retailer and wedeveloped evaluation tools with which to gather feedback on the project's pilot year. After a one-month delay in opening due to the late start of the growing season, CCFB operated five weekly mobile market sites from July to November 2015. The Fresh2You! Mobile Market faced several significantchallenges in its pilot year. After receiving notice of the FINI Grant award in spring of 2015, CCFB had limited time in which to hire a Market Coordinator and conduct community outreach. We also experienced delays in acquiring the market vehicle, requiring the projectto operate withan existing CCFB truck for the season. The absence of the 'Fresh2You!' logo resulted in decreased visibility and brand recognition in the target communities. However, partner organizations played a critical role in promoting the projectto low-income residents; over 50% of customerslearned about the markets from a local agency.Sales data and customer feedback demonstrate that Fresh2You! reachedlow-income residents in the target communities. About 50% of customers surveyed were SNAP recipients, and 63% of total market salescame from SNAP or WIC/Senior FMNP vouchers. Althoughattendance and sales were lower than anticipated, the mobile market created opportunities for 1,000 customers at nearly 100 markets to access fruits and vegetables. 91% of customers found it"very easy" to get to the market, and 100% of customers found pricesto be affordable. OBJECTIVE #2: To implement a two-tierincentive program to increasefruit and vegetable purchases among customers shopping with SNAP benefits Offered 'Double Dollars' on all SNAP purchases During the 'Fresh2You! pilot season, customers shopping with SNAP benefits received a dollar-for-dollar match (up to $10) on produce purchasesat the point of sale. CCFB worked with partner organizations to raiseawareness ofthe incentives in the target communities. Clear signage about the 'Double Dollars' was displayed at the markets, and staff verbally advised new customers about the SNAP matching opportunity. Developed and implemented rewards program to incentivize purchases of highly nutritious produce CCFB created the 'Fresh+' Rewards Program to encourage customers, including SNAP recipients,to purchase nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables such as beets andleafy greens. Under the original program design, we had planned to award customers points for purchasing pre-selected "highly nutritious" items; the points could later be redeemed for reward items. However, this system proved too complicated to implement in the project's pilot year. Establishing five new market sites where there had previously been no farmers' markets that accepted EBTleft staff with made it difficult to implementa complex incentive program. Midway through the season, we introduced a simplified version of the 'Fresh+' Rewards, offeringsmall cooking-related items at the point of sale for purchases of "highly nutritious" fruits or vegetables. Purchases were recorded on customer loyalty cards; after six marketvisits, participants were eligible to select a bonus reward such as olive oil or a cookbook. Purchases with SNAP and FMNP vouchers accounted for 63% of total market sales. Despite the SNAP incentive program, FMNP vouchers accounted for the majority of sales from food assistance benefits. This trend may be attributed to large one-time uses of FMNP vouchers and client preference for spending their vouchers before using their SNAP benefits.Many customers indicated that they purchased 'Fresh+' fruits and vegetables to receive the reward items, and severalnoted that 'Fresh+' was their favorite aspect of the market. 81% of customers reported that they had been eating more fruits and vegetables after attending the markets. In the market's second season, it will be critical to intensify SNAP outreach and to promote the incentive programs.While SNAP customers surveyed named "to use SNAP benefits" as their second most popular reason for attending the market, SNAP sales were much lower than expected. Although the 'Fresh+' Rewards Program was implemented only halfway through the season, over 150 customers enrolled and several earned the additional bonus items. The simplified 'Fresh+' structure provided immediate incentive to purchase nutrient-dense produce and motivation to return to the market in the future. Helping participants to select reward items also created opportunities forstaff to initiate conversation about cooking and healthy food choices. OBJECTIVE #3: To increase intake of fruits and vegetables among SNAP customers by providing nutrition education at market sites Seasonal recipe cards and educational resourceson topics such as shopping on a limited budget were offered at all market sites throughout the season. Market staff and student nutrition interns held cooking demonstrations at 3-5 markets each week to encourage customers to sample unfamiliar fruits and vegetables and to highlight the nutrient-dense items featured in the 'Fresh+' Rewards Program. Our staff recorded multiple comments from customers expressing appreciation for the healthyrecipes each week. Over 60% of customers reporting having taken a recipe or handout from the market;and 68% reported having tasted a food sample. Feedback collected also indicates that the nutrition education activities improved attitudes toward and increased consumption of fresh produce amongcustomers. In an end of season survey,81% of customers reported that they had been eating more fruits and vegetables because of the market. Nearly 100% of customers believed that increasing produce intake would be good for their family'shealth; and 93% stated that they were interested in nutrition or health education.
Publications
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