The South Bronx Farmers Market - New Market Day
We are launching our first mid-week market to serve our community. We need funds to help cover costs for supplies and staffing, who are essential in facilitating SNAP/EBT sales and ensuring that the market runs smoothly.
Leader
Jorge Cubas
Location
350 E 138th St. Bronx, NY 10454
About the project
The South Bronx Farmers Market, Inc. (“SBFM”) is a 501(c)(3) organization with the mission of addressing public health crises in obesity, diabetes, malnourishment and undernourishment by promoting access to nutritious, affordable, locally grown produce and related agricultural products for the under-served residents of the South Bronx. We operate a farmers market to support our mission and we facilitate vital food subsidy programs including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program/Electronic Benefits (SNAP/EBT), Women, Infants and Children (WIC), as well as Farmers Market Nutrition Program and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program checks. On any almost 40% of funds spent at our market are through some sort of food subsidy program - we help our community get more fresh and affordable food into their homes.
We are adding one day a week for 23 weeks to our farmers market. We currently run one market day on Saturdays, but would like to add a Wednesday market day to each week. Many shoppers are unable to come out during the weekends - a weekday market would enable new customers to visit and would provide an additional mid-week market to our current customers and provide additional programming.
We need funding for additional market supplies, marketing and outreach materials, staff and market equipment. Our season launches on June 17 and the first Wednesday market would start June 21. The market would be held in the same location along 138th Street in Mott Haven, South Bronx.
We are so grateful to be selected to participate in the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHF) + ioby Healthy Neighborhoods Challenge! As part of Ioby's Neighborhood the first $250 of each donation given to our ioby campaign will be doubled until May 25, or until the granted match amount has been spent! This means your donation will be matched dollar for dollar until we hit our match limit!
The Steps
South Bronx Farmers Market (SBFM) will be purchasing additional supplies and creating new marketing material. We will also be hiring two part-time staff - a SNAP/EBT Manager as well as an Assistant Market Manager. We will also be promoting our market within our community to help spread the word and bring in new shoppers.