At a farm market in St. Petersburg, Florida, SNAP recipients were able to use their Electronic Benefits Transfer cards for food. (Photo by Lance Cheung/USDA).
A new project that encourages people in Louisiana who receive federal food assistance to spend more on fresh fruits and vegetables will launch in five additional parishes, state officials announced Tuesday.
People in Calcasieu, Jackson, Rapides, Terrebonne and Lafayette parishes who use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and shop at participating Walmart stores will get a 30-cent credit back on their electronic benefits transfer cards for every dollar they spend on fresh produce. The refund tops out at $25 a month.
The state’s Electronic Healthy Incentives Project is already available in Webster, West Carroll, Ascension, LaSalle, Sabine and Tangipahoa parishes.
“The project helps Louisianans stretch their food budget, but the broader goal is to improve health outcomes,” said Sammy Guillory, assistant secretary of family support with the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.
The program has distributed $280,000 in additional credits to SNAP recipients in Louisiana since it launched in April.
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