Expanding Access to Vulnerable Populations Accepting SNAP & WIC Benefits

Transcription

1 Expanding Access to Vulnerable Populations Accepting SNAP & WIC Benefits

2 Panelists Corey Chatman, President, IFMA & LINK Up Illinois Program Manager The Experimental Station Sue Couri, Coordinator, CSFP and Farmers Market Nutrition Programs State Representative to NAFMNP Marketlink Program Illinois Department of Human Services Susan Suchy, Illinois Link Program Director Illinois Department of Human Services

3 Illinois Farmers Market Association Corey Chatman, President, IFMA LINK Up Illinois Program Manager The Experimental Station 6100 S. Blackstone Ave., Chicago, IL /

4 Sorting out the terminology: LINK, EBT, SNAP, and Food Stamps

5 Sorting out the terminology: LINK, EBT, SNAP, and Food Stamps SNAP: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as "food stamps Administered by the USDA office of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS). Federal program that helps low-income individuals and families buy the food they need for good health. EBT: Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) is an electronic system that allows recipients to access their SNAP benefits using a card similar to a credit card.

6 Quick Facts Roughly 1 out of 6 Illinoisans receives SNAP/LINK benefits FMs FM's with SNAP FM's without Avg monthly benefit in IL. $138 per person $277 per household 68% 32% 97 markets accept SNAP

7 SNAP 4 year Growth SNAP Markets SNAP Sales , , ,379 32,

8 WIC SFMNP 4 year Growth Farmers Seniors ,500 39,200 40,000 36,

9 How SNAP/LINK works in the Woodstock Farmers Market Token System Purchased by the LINK user from Information booth Given directly to Farmer to buy food Farmer turns tokens in to Information booth for credit Receipt to Vendor Information Booth Vendor

10 WIC SFMNP & Marketlink Sue Couri Coordinator, CSFP and Farmers market Nutrition Program IDHS

11 TM

12 Our Partners USDA Food & Nutrition Service National Association of Farmers Market Nutrition Programs (NAFMNP) The NOVO DIA Group, Mobile Market+ TM WorldPay TM

13 MarketLink TM Options T M Eligible for FREE terminal Not eligible - need terminal & service New iphone, card reader, and printer with one-year warranty to process ALL SNAP, Debit, and Credit Card Transactions, wherever you sell. Unlimited Mobile Market+ TM data services for 2 years. No annual fee for Merchant processing account with WorldPay TM the first year. World-Class Technical Support from day one! Purchase terminal(s) and card reader(s) and get the processing plan Not eligible - need service Sign up for the processing plan if you have a compatible terminal already

14 Why MarketLink TM? Expanded customer base Less than 40% overlap of FMNP and SNAP clients; so 60% of SNAP participants are new customers! Increased sales Largest reason why purchases are limited at markets is people run out of cash. Best rates for processing electronic payments 48 hour payment settlement for all transactions Nationally negotiated rate on behalf of farmers and markets

15 Why Accept SNAP? $86.5 billion program nationwide $16m through FMs last year (less than 2/10%) Program expands number of customers AND products (beyond fruits & vegetables) National Benefit Totals ($) FMNP SNAP

16 FMNP & SNAP: Complementary Programs FMNP and SNAP are programs with similar goals to expand access to food. With the addition of SNAP at your market or stall, you can help more customers access more food beyond fruits and vegetables. SNAP participants can use their benefits for fruits and vegetables PLUS other foods. By using FMNP and SNAP together, a market shopper can buy foods from all of the food groups. FMNP + SNAP = more sales for farmers.

17 This is Your Opportunity This is your opportunity to see how accepting SNAP, credit & debit grows your bottom line! No other program exists today to give direct-marketing farmers or farmers markets: New, state-of-the-art technology, A free payment processing account for SNAP, debit, and credit cards for one year, Significantly lower transaction fees, and only pay the per transaction fees!, and Not spend a penny for the equipment or the data plan for two years! MarketLink TM is your best opportunity to sell your products the way most consumers want to pay for them!

18 Free Terminal Program: Fees & Commitments iphone with card reader Wireless data service (2 years) Annual fee for payment processing (1 year) License Fee for MobileMarket+ application Transaction fees Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 From $30/month* $0 $120 $120 $0 $0 $100 SNAP: 15 cents per transaction Credit & debit: 1.79% of sale plus 15 cents Total $0 $120 $220 *This varies by provider (Verizon, AT&T, TMobile, etc.)

19 Support from Market Link TM Technical support from initial sign-up through USDA SNAP-authorization from the MarketLink TM Team! Tailored setup assistance of your iphone and the application that processes all transactions Mobile Market+ TM Technical Support Help Desk available Commitment from MarketLink s TM own Customer Support Team people who understand directmarketing farmers and farmers markets!

20 Market Link TM Signup First, you must have a working address and a bank account. is the primary method for communication. Your bank account is how you receive payments. Complete the on-line NAFMNP Eligibility Questionnaire: Your answers will determine your eligibility to qualify for the free terminal program. Submit your USDA application to become SNAP-authorized. Submit copies of photo ID and Social Security card. Complete the payment processor application. Setup terminal once it arrives. Our expedited process through USDA means that you have the best opportunity to be up and running in a month or less!

21 Terminal Set-Up Once approved by USDA and after you have completed WorldPay TM Merchant Agreement, you will receive your new iphone from MobileMarket+ TM. Unpack and charge your iphone. Use the QuickStart Guide to prepare to accept transactions or contact MarketLink TM Customer Support Desk for Training and Orientation.

22 Using Your Terminal Use it at the farmers markets where you sell. Use it at your farm stand, CSA, anywhere you sell. Your terminal is easy to use and your Quick Start Guide will show you step-by-step how to complete a sale. You will print a receipt for all of your electronic payments. Each transaction sends to WorldPay TM. Your payments are processed and deposited to your bank account within 48 hours.

23 Purchase Terminal Program If don t qualify for this free terminal program, there are other options for you to consider. Depending on your needs, you can still qualify for the nationally negotiated rates and obtain the equipment that is right for you.

24 Contact the team at: Phone: Paul Darby, Amy Crone,

25 ILLINOIS WIC AND SENIOR FARMERS' MARKET NUTRITION PROGRAM ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

26 Farmers Market Nutrition Program 515 farmers at 145 markets Counties participating in FMNP: Adams Jersey Peoria Boone Kankakee Perry Bureau Lake Rock Island Champaign Logan St. Clair Clinton Macon Sangamon Coles Madison Tazewell Cook Marion Union Edgar McDonough Vermilion Franklin-Williamson McHenry Washington Jackson McLean Knox Jefferson Morgan

27 Round Table Discussion For additional information contact: Bureau of Family Nutrition Sue Couri - Sue.Couri@illinois.gov

28 Susan Suchy, Illinois Link/EBT Program Director Illinois Department of Human Services 100 S. Grand Ave. East, 2 nd floor Springfield, IL Telephone (217) Fax (217) Susan.Suchy@illinois.gov

29 EBT only 1 pager

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