WEYMOUTH, ROCKLAND, MA ISSUED SEPTEMBER 26, 2024… The Weymouth Food Pantry, with a mission to end hunger in Weymouth, Massachusetts, reminds the public that the Weymouth Farmers Market will remain open through October 2nd.
Located at Tufts Library, Weston Park at 46 Broad Street in Weymouth, the Farmers Market, in collaboration with the Weymouth Food Pantry, is open every other Wednesday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Vendors offer fresh produce, meats, eggs, honey, baked goods, jams, jellies, cheese, plants, and artisan crafts with a focus on locally-grown, locally-sourced, and locally-crafted items. A variety of kids’ activities, food trucks, and live music add to the communal atmosphere.
The market, now in its 16th year, also offers a variety of programs to support the community, including the SNAP Match and Healthy Incentives programs.
SNAP Match is a nutrition incentive program that helps those who use the Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program (SNAP) increase their ability to purchase fresh and local fruits and vegetables from local farmers markets. The dollar matching program aids in stretching food budgets by providing additional funds to purchase fresh produce.
When those who are registered with the Weymouth Food Pantry visit the Weymouth Farmers Market, they can have their dollars matched up to $20 per market day using their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) or debit card.
The Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) provides another opportunity for families and individuals who receive SNAP benefits to buy more local fruits and vegetables. When program participants purchase eligible produce from participating HIP vendors, the amount spent is automatically added back to their EBT cards, up to a monthly cap.
“We’re proud to a SNAP Match and HIP vendor,” said Pamela Denholm, executive director of the Weymouth Food Pantry, noting that the Weymouth Farmers Market supported the purchase of $17,000 worth of fresh vegetables through its SNAP Match and HIP transactions last year. “Our market cultivates community engagement and increases access to local, healthy food options. Please stop by and shop with us before we close for the season.”
The Weymouth Farmers Market is held on the lower, grass level of the library park.
About the Weymouth Food Pantry
The Weymouth Food Pantry is an independent 501(c)(3) charity providing free groceries to over 4,000 people in Weymouth at any given time. The Weymouth Food Pantry serves between 100 and 250 families per service day, 600 and 800 families each month, and distributes about 830,000 pounds of food per year. The Weymouth Food Pantry offers food assistance and education through a variety of food access, food equity, and health focused programs, including pop-up pantries, grocery delivery to homebound elders and people with disabilities, a dollar-match at the farmers’ market, weekend food bags for students in school, an open access community garden, and “made with love” meals freshly prepared and frozen for easy reheating by neighbors for whom meal prep is a barrier to food security.
The Weymouth Food Pantry was founded in 1987 by a small group of concerned citizens. Its executive office is located at 40E Reservoir Park Drive, Rockland, MA 02370. For more information, please visit www.weymouthfoodpantry.org, email info@weymouthfoodpantry.org, or call 781-331-7682.
