Supporting Our Community: How FAM Benefits Both Families and Local Vendors in Western PA
Food Assistance Match
Albert Ciuksza
albert@foodassistancematch.org
(412) 596-0848
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pittsburgh, PA – We are excited to announce the launch of Food Assistance Match, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization which aims to increase access to fresh, nutritious food for in-need individuals and families in our community by doubling the purchasing power of food assistance programs such as SNAP.
In 2023, the Food Assistance Match (FAM) program will expand to three locations: its original pilot location at Bellevue Farmers Market in Bellevue, PA, Bethel Park Farmers Market in Bethel Park (begining on June 20th), and the Cranberry Farmers Market in Cranberry Township, PA (beginning in June 2023).
Food Assistance Match, Inc. is dedicated to increasing access to fresh, nutritious food from local farmers and small businesses for individuals and families who are most in need. Through its streamlined, dignity-first approach, FAM addresses food insecurity challenges while supporting the enterprises and communities that are the fabric of southwestern Pennsylvania at select farmers’ markets in the region.
FAM achieves its mission by multiplying the buying power of food assistance programs, such as SNAP, the Farmers Market Nutrition Program, WIC, and others. As a result, patrons using these programs take home two times the locally-sourced food and goods, which leads to better overall health outcomes, a more robust regional economy, and a more resilient local food ecosystem.
Started in 2020 as a response to COVID, FAM at Bellevue Farmers Market increased SNAP transactions by nearly 3,000%, enabling families to purchase about $35,000 of additional food in the 2022 summer season. Bona Fide Bellevue, the fiscal sponsor of the FAM program, enabled FAM to spin-out its own organization. This new structure will enable FAM to expand it to farmers’ markets throughout the region over the next several years.
The Bellevue Farmers Market is located in Bayne Park, 34 North Balph Ave., Bellevue, PA 15202, and runs Wednesdays in June through October, from 3 pm – 7 pm.
The Bethel Park Farmers Market is located in South Park, 30 Corrigan Dr, Bethel Park, PA 15102 and runs Tuesdays in May through September from 3 pm to 7 pm.
The Cranberry Farmers Market is in the Cranberry Township Municipal Center front parking lot, 2525 Rochester Rd, Cranberry Township, PA 16066 and runs on Fridays in June through September, from 3 pm – 7 pm.
About Food Assistance Match: Food Assistance Match, Inc. (FAM) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing access to fresh, nutritious food from local farmers and small businesses for individuals and families who are most in need. Learn more about FAM at foodassistancematch.org.
