Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
'Harvest Boxes': Grocers fear for business, patrons' health
Source: Associated Press
‘Harvest Boxes’: Grocers fear for business, patrons’ health
By KRISTEN de GROOT and GENE PUSKAR
1 hour ago
RANKIN, Pa. (AP) — Finding fresh food in this tiny riverside community that was hit hard by the steel industry’s decline has always been a challenge. Then, seven years ago, Carl’s Cafe opened.
The grocery store, near new government housing, offers cooking classes and a source of fresh, healthy food. Proprietor Carl Lewis even has customers sign a pledge: If he provides fresh produce, they’ll buy it. Five such purchases, and they get their sixth free.
About half his customers pay with benefits from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, so the government’s proposal to replace the debit card-type program with a pre-assembled box of shelf-stable goods delivered to recipients worries him and other grocery operators in poor areas about their patrons’ nutrition, and their own bottom line.
“If half of your business goes away, it’s going to hurt,” Lewis said, noting that if SNAP spending benefits are taken away, so will recipients’ ability to participate in programs at his store.
“I see kids educating parents on fresh food choices,” he said. “To see them reach for an apple before they reach for a Snickers bar, it’s fantastic. But if people are too worried about where their next meal is coming from, it’s going to be hard to teach them how to cook an eggplant.”
-snip-
By KRISTEN de GROOT and GENE PUSKAR
1 hour ago
RANKIN, Pa. (AP) — Finding fresh food in this tiny riverside community that was hit hard by the steel industry’s decline has always been a challenge. Then, seven years ago, Carl’s Cafe opened.
The grocery store, near new government housing, offers cooking classes and a source of fresh, healthy food. Proprietor Carl Lewis even has customers sign a pledge: If he provides fresh produce, they’ll buy it. Five such purchases, and they get their sixth free.
About half his customers pay with benefits from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, so the government’s proposal to replace the debit card-type program with a pre-assembled box of shelf-stable goods delivered to recipients worries him and other grocery operators in poor areas about their patrons’ nutrition, and their own bottom line.
“If half of your business goes away, it’s going to hurt,” Lewis said, noting that if SNAP spending benefits are taken away, so will recipients’ ability to participate in programs at his store.
“I see kids educating parents on fresh food choices,” he said. “To see them reach for an apple before they reach for a Snickers bar, it’s fantastic. But if people are too worried about where their next meal is coming from, it’s going to be hard to teach them how to cook an eggplant.”
-snip-
Read more: https://apnews.com/d91aecf74f5d4486a54e4d486acae2e5/'Harvest-Boxes':-Grocers-fear-for-business,-patrons'-health
1 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
