A family-owned grocery store in Eugene is the first in town to participate in a supplemental nutrition assistance program which provides organic fruits and vegetables to low-income families.
Cash registers have been ringing up sales at The Kiva Grocery in downtown Eugene for over 50 years. Ziggy Blum is point of sale manager and describes how the Double Up Food Bucks program works.
“Basically, it gives dollar for dollar,” she said, “up to ten dollars back on each purchase at the grocery-- on fresh fruits and vegetables-- which benefits not only lower income people who are using SNAP benefits but also local farmers and also, our grocery!”
Hannah Brown is a produce buyer for The Kiva. “Right now, we’re in the fall season,” she said, “so we have a lot of squash, radishes local carrots, salad mix, broccoli, we got local persimmons in.”
Until now, Double Up Food Bucks has been a summer food program, honored at most Oregon farmer’s markets. Blum said they’re proud to be the first grocery store in Eugene to participate and she expects others to follow.