A campaign is underway through Saturday to pay for a price match at the Union Square Farmers Market that in May helped keep more than 180 families from going hungry. The match let them share $2,671 in matching funds as they shopped; with hunger growing, more than 1,500 families are expected to benefit from the same kind of help over the market season.
As a result of what is largely Trump administration policies, “it’s been a challenge to meet the dramatic growth in demand for this match, which has increased an outstanding 508 percent since 2019,” said Jessica Eshleman, executive director of Union Square Main Streets, producer of the market.
This is the ninth year for the weeklong Good Food For All fundraiser, which runs only through Sunday. The goal is to raise $15,000.
It helps families on the food benefits program known as Snap through a dollar-for-dollar match in which shoppers get to $15 per week in tokens to use at eligible vendors when they put up the same amount of their own money.
Donations can be made by shopping, eating or playing at participating local businesses through Saturday and buying or taking part in their featured items or promotions. Those businesses donate the proceeds, and every Saturday at the Union Square Farmers Market, Snap customers get the dollar-for-dollar match of up to $15 for healthy, fresh food.
Community members can also make individual tax-deductible donations to the program in person at the market or online.
Fifteen dollars is the Snap match for one family; $60 is a match for one family for a month; $150 is a Snap match for 10 families; $800 is all the Snap match funds needed for a typical Saturday farmers market; and $3,200 is the funding anticipated to be needed for one month.
“It truly takes a village – our village – and every donation helps,” Eshleman said in a press release. “Individuals and families served by this program are eating healthier and are more connected to our community because of the heartwarming participation of so many.”
The organization said the Snap Match Program would not be possible without the help of a Somerville Health and Human Services grant and support from the year’s Good Food For All sponsors: Somerville Family Dental, Eversource, East Cambridge Savings Bank, Cambria Hotel Boston Somerville, Play Union, Naveo Credit Union, Remnant Brewing, Vinal Bakery, the Vinal General Store and individual commumity donors.
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