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East Orange, NJ - City Green’s statewide Good Food Bucks nutrition incentive program, which increases the purchasing power of customers when they use SNAP/EBT to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, is now available at the ShopRite of East Orange! The ShopRite of East Orange is the second fresh food retailer in the city to participate in the Good Food Bucks program, joining the East Orange Farmers Market, which runs seasonally every other Tuesday between June and October at 44 City Hall Plaza. Launched on August 14th at ShopRite of East Orange, the addition of this program to the store provides an opportunity for local residents to access more affordable fresh, healthy produce every day of the week.
ShopRite of East Orange is a large grocery store located at The Crossings at 533 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. The area, formerly known as Brick Church Plaza, is currently undergoing the largest ever real estate development in East Orange’s history. The city is working towards transforming the space into a modern community hub with 820 mixed-income housing units and around 200,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, and commercial space.
Through the Good Food Bucks program at the ShopRite of East Orange, anytime a shopper who is registered with ShopRites’ Price Plus Club loyalty program uses their SNAP benefits to purchase fresh produce, they will automatically earn up to $5 per day in Good Food Buck coupons for more fresh fruits and vegetables.
Mayor Ted. R. Green says, “As the price of groceries continues to go up, it is more important than ever that people in our community have access to healthy, fresh produce and the long-term health benefits it can bring. Thank you to City Green for working in partnership with our local ShopRite to make ‘Good Food Bucks’ redeemable for our residents 365 days a year.”
During a period of incessant high food prices due to inflation, and with pandemic-era SNAP benefits ending at the beginning of this year, the Good Food Bucks program has proven to be an important tool for food security and affordability for New Jerseyans. East Orange has the second highest population in Essex County, and the county is home to approximately 130,000 individuals who participate in SNAP.
“Good Food Bucks are a triple win, benefiting families, farmers, and the economy. We are so excited that our partners at the ShopRite of East Orange store, Wakefern, Village Super Market, and the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey have come together to make healthy food more affordable for East Orange residents. Good Food Bucks will help local families stretch their grocery budgets and put healthy options on their tables,” Lisa Martin, City Green’s Director of Food Access shared.
City Green, Inc. has operated the Good Food Bucks program since 2011, which now serves as New Jersey’s only statewide nutrition incentive program, spanning 35 different grocery stores, farm stands, and farmers markets across 15 counties. In the past 7 years of the program, over $450,000 in Good Food Bucks incentive dollars have been spent at City Green’s network of partner locations by over 65,000 customers. City Green is proud to be a federal USDA GusNIP grant recipient for administering nutrition incentives across the state. Good Food Bucks at the ShopRite of East Orange is also supported by the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.
A kickoff celebration for the launch of Good Food Bucks at ShopRite of East Orange will take place at the store (533 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.) on Wednesday September 13th from 12pm - 2:30pm, with remarks made at 12:30pm, and a taste-test and engagement opportunities available until 2:30pm. RSVP to Lmartin@city-green.org.
To learn more about Good Food Bucks and to find an authorized partner near you, visit GoodFoodBucks.com. Any farmers markets or fresh food retailers that want to offer Good Food Bucks to their customers can reach out to City Green at goodfoodbucks@city-green.org
City Green is a 501(c)(3) urban farming and gardening organization based in Clifton, New Jersey working to revitalize urban areas through agriculture and educational programming. It offers practical, technical, and financial resources in support of environmental stewardship, equitable access to healthy food, and ecologically sustainable communities. For more information contact Jasmine Moreano, Director of Community Engagement and Advocacy at JMoreano@City-Green.org or visit www.citygreenonline.org.
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