GreenWheel Food Hub is a social enterprise with a mission to help Hawaii's residents, especially those in low-income communities, gain better access to fresh, locally-grown fruits, vegetables and staple foods.
3 ways YOU can help:
- Take our survey: help our study by answering 8 quick questions
- Volunteer: fill out this form & we'll contact you with opportunities to help
- Donate: donations help make local food more accessible to all - mahalo!
3 ways YOU can help:
- Take our survey: help our study by answering 8 quick questions
- Volunteer: fill out this form & we'll contact you with opportunities to help
- Donate: donations help make local food more accessible to all - mahalo!
The Facts:
In Fiscal Year 2011 for the State of Hawaii there were:
The Problem:
On the island of Oahu, only three(3) of the farmers' markets that require majority Hawaii-grown products also accept SNAP benefits. As a result, fresh, locally-grown produce and locally-produced staple foods are inaccessible for a significant and growing demographic of lower income residents. Obesity, diabetes and other diet-related health problems affect many of our lower-income residents in part because the readily available affordable foods are unhealthy and lack nutritive value.
The Solution:
GreenWheel Food Hub intends to help alleviate this problem of food inequality by implementing the GreenWheel Grow Bucks Project; making possible the use of SNAP benefits at many more of Oahu’s farmer’s markets. While enhancing the diets of Oahu's SNAP recipients, the Grow Bucks Project will also serve to assist Oahu's farming families by providing a conduit to convert some of the approximately $33.5 million in monthly federal SNAP benefits received by the State of Hawaii, into a much needed boost in local farmers' market revenues.
In Fiscal Year 2011 for the State of Hawaii there were:
- An average of 77,133 households per month receiving SNAP*
- An average of 154,496 individuals per month receiving SNAP
- An average of $33,427,096 was issued per month in SNAP benefits
*State of Hawaii DHS website
The Problem:
On the island of Oahu, only three(3) of the farmers' markets that require majority Hawaii-grown products also accept SNAP benefits. As a result, fresh, locally-grown produce and locally-produced staple foods are inaccessible for a significant and growing demographic of lower income residents. Obesity, diabetes and other diet-related health problems affect many of our lower-income residents in part because the readily available affordable foods are unhealthy and lack nutritive value.
The Solution:
GreenWheel Food Hub intends to help alleviate this problem of food inequality by implementing the GreenWheel Grow Bucks Project; making possible the use of SNAP benefits at many more of Oahu’s farmer’s markets. While enhancing the diets of Oahu's SNAP recipients, the Grow Bucks Project will also serve to assist Oahu's farming families by providing a conduit to convert some of the approximately $33.5 million in monthly federal SNAP benefits received by the State of Hawaii, into a much needed boost in local farmers' market revenues.
GreenWheel Food Hub is a fiscally sponsored project of
the Feed the Hunger Foundation, a 501 c 3. www.feed-hunger.com
the Feed the Hunger Foundation, a 501 c 3. www.feed-hunger.com
