Progress 09/01/17 to 02/28/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project is the 49,340 individuals receiving SNAP food benefits on Hawai'i Island, especially those living in food deserts with low-income and low-access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables. We also targeted regions impacted by the natural disasters in 2018--K?lauea Volcano lava flows, Hurricane Lane, and Tropical Storm Olivia. Hawai'i Island continues to recover from the physical and economic impacts of these disasters. Changes/Problems:Given their role as the sole food bank on Hawai'i Island, The Food Basket is leading the emergency response to increased food insecurity across Hawai'i Island resulting from the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19. With travel restrictions and 14-day quarantine requirements for visitors arriving from out-of-state, Hawai'i's tourist-based businesses have significantly reduced their workforce and many have closed. While the state was ranked as having the lowest unemployment in the U.S. prior to the pandemic at 2.1%, Hawai'i was ranked as having the highest unemployment by April 2020 at 21.9% and continues to hold this rank at 9.0% in March 2021. Many newly unemployed individuals are seeking food assistance benefits for the first time from Department of Human Services' SNAP Processing Centers and from our 'Ohana Food Drop emergency food distributions. In this economic climate, the MM project needed to pivot and divert staff resources to meet emergency food needs as well as increased demand for our DA BOX community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. Through these activities we are able to maintain social distancing and ensure all staff and volunteers are taking the proper precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The MM project recruited over 100 volunteers to help with receiving produce from farmers, produce processing for distribution, direct distribution to customers, answering customer inquiries via phone and email, processing customers payments, and cleaning of crates, refrigerators and vehicles. A total of 72 volunteers were students or recent graduates; 9 used their volunteer experience to meet practicum or internship requirements for school. We hired three of our regular volunteers to help with the operations of the DA BOX community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. Increased staff support was needed because our CSA orders more than doubled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On average we are distributing 500 CSA shares a week. More residents are turning to CSAs to purchase produce because it minimizes their contact with the public and they are curious to experiment with new ingredients while they are spending more time cooking at home. In addition to these three new hires, The Kohala Center contracted a Quality Assurance Coordinator, Zoe Banfield, to implement processes for produce receiving and handling by the staff and volunteers and to advise on program improvements, especially on how we market and communicate program policies to customers and farm suppliers. Ms. Banfield is a recent graduate of the Masters of Food and Agriculture Law and Policy at the Vermont Law School. The Food Basket is her first large client helping her to launch her career. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Food Basket's Executive Director, Kristin Frost Albrecht has presented data from our contracted evaluators as well as program sales data at a number of conferences at the county, state and national level, including a Fair Food Network Double Up Conference, a NIFA Project Directors meeting, the statewide 2nd Annual Food Summit hosted by the Hawai'i Island Food Alliance, the Obesity Prevention Task Force statewide policy planning meetings, and the Hawai'i Good Food Alliance statewide planning meetings. Ms. Albrecht has also used program impact data when applying for various philanthropic and government grants. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
DA BUS Mobile Market (MM) operated pop-up markets from Feb 2018-March 2020, which offered direct sales of Hawai'i Island grown fruits and vegetables. The majority of sites were scheduled in conjunction with Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) food distributions to seniors. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we discontinued the original services of the MM at the end of March 2020. The original operations posed a risk to our many senior customers who shopped in-person and hand-selected their produce purchases. In response to the threat of COVID-19, the MM project shifted to solely focus on providing mobile produce through "DA BOX" community-supported agriculture (CSA) as well as free "'Ohana Food Drop" emergency food distributions. Through these activities, we limit staff and volunteer contact with customers by implementing drive-thru or outdoor walk-up pick-up procedures at 20 sites across Hawai'i Island. Goal 1 Initially starting with 4 pop-up market sites per month, by Year 2 & 3, we hosted an average of 8 sites per month. We reached a peak average of 21 customers per market day in Year 3. However, some sites were more successful than others. The pop-up market in Hilo, which is the largest town on the island, drew the most customers at an average of 36 customers per market day. The market at the Hual?lai Elderly Apartments and P?hoa Community Center drew the second highest averages, both at 27 customers per market day. The average percentage of SNAP customers per market day was 41%; however, an analysis by site revealed that three sites surpassed our 50% goal: Hilo 55%, Hual?lai 51%, and P?hoa 53%; and the Pepe'ekeo site came close at 49%. The average percentage of SNAP revenue per market day was 53%. Of the 400 unique SNAP customers who purchased from the MM, 226 customers or 56% were repeat customers. Prior to the pandemic, the MM was largely promoted through direct outreach by our two SNAP Outreach Specialists who regularly participated in community events and service provider network meetings and provided informational flyers at free food distributions. They provided outreach to an estimated 2,000 low-income individuals annually. In turn, the MM Coordinator offered SNAP applications at the checkout of our pop-up markets. She was trained to refer customers to our SNAP Outreach Specialists and to provide initial eligibility information. The MM was also advertised via radio ads in Year 2, which reached 23,623 adults. During the pandemic, the MM discontinued original market operations and shifted its focus to "'Ohana Food Drop" (OFD) emergency food distributions. We provided this direct service because we instructed our partner food pantries and soup kitchens to discontinue operations due to challenges meeting recommended pandemic safety standards. Additionally, nearly all sites were operated by seniors at high-risk for contracting severe cases of the virus. From March 2020 to February 2021, we coordinated an average of 11 OFDs per month island-wide. Goal 2 The Food Access Coordinator continues to lead the Hawai'i Island Food Alliance (HIFA), a position created by the Hawai'i County Department of Research and Development in 2018. The current coordinator, Sarah Freeman, holds regular meetings with food system stakeholders, including restaurant owners, academics, food distributors, non-profits, and government officials. Each attendee provides updates on the resources they offer, and they discuss opportunities for collaboration. Our involvement in the establishment and ongoing planning activities of HIFA has resulted in stronger community relationships and new collaborative projects, including our K?kua Harvest gleaning program in partnership with Hawai'i County; the distribution of frozen meals in partnership with local restaurants; and annual statewide Food Summits. Each year, we collaborated with the Blue Zones Project in offering 6-8 educational events, including East Hawai'i Schools Health and Wellness Symposiums, National Food Days, Blue Zones Celebrations, the Hawai'i County Employees Health and Wellness Fairs, cooking and gardening workshops at our pop-up markets, and free edible plant start giveaways in partnership with Master Gardeners. Additionally, during our 'Ohana Food Drops, the Hawai'i Community College's Agricultural program students gave away over 2,000 plant starts for local vegetables, along with information on how to care for them. Goal 3 We directly purchased produce from 59 Hawai'i Island farms in Year 3, a 74% increase from Year 1. From September 2017 to February 2021, we purchased 300,685 lbs. of produce for re-sale through pop-up markets and our CSA. The variability of Hawai'i's pests and weather poses a challenge for farmers to schedule out a calendar year of specific yields to be harvested and delivered on specific days, weeks, or months. The MM Coordinator understands this challenge and gives her partner farmers the flexibility to schedule orders at minimum a week prior to delivery. The partner farms will commit to growing specific products for The Food Basket, such as Brussels sprouts and watercress, and the MM Coordinator will accept these products once the farm has enough available to meet our program needs. The CSA continues to promote the expansion of crop acreage, according to verbal feedback received from farms. An independent program evaluator conducted surveys of farmers in Year 2 and found 100% of farmers had positive and profitable experiences. While we have received inquiries for backhauling, logistically we have been unable to align our route schedules with farmers' delivery needs. Goal 4 The MM Coordinator and drivers were knowledgeable resources for customers to inquire about cooking tips and nutrition. They prepared a weekly newsletter containing recipes, nutrition information, and tips for preparing unfamiliar produce items, like cassava, purslane, or daikon. 100% of CSA customers receive this newsletter, either as a hardcopy or in an email; and contents are also made available on the program website, daboxbigisland.org. Our SNAP Outreach Coordinator has a strong relationship with H?m?kua-Kohala Health Center and Hui M?lama Ola N? '?iwi (native Hawaiian health system), and continually updates their staff of our services. Goal 5 The Food Basket participated in the following annual events that allowed us and our partners to educate the public on the benefits of purchasing and eating local produce: National Food Day, Taste of the Hawaiian Range Ag Festival, Big Island Substance Abuse Council Summer Jam, Ladies Night Out, Convoy of Hope, Hawai'i County Employees Health and Wellness Fair, and East Hawai'i Schools Health and Wellness Symposium. Collaborators on one or more of these events included two health clinics (Hui M?lama Ola N? '?iwi and Bay Clinic), the East Hawai'i Schools, one ag co-op (Hawai'i 'Ulu Cooperative), two university partners (University of Hawai'i Cooperative Extension and College of Pharmacy); and three other public service providers (The Kohala Center, Blue Zones Project, and USDA-Farm Service Agency).
Publications
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project is SNAP recipients, especially those living in food deserts with low-income and low-access to affordable fresh produce. We also served those impacted by disaster island-wide. Changes/Problems:Given TFB's role as a food bank, they are leading the COVID emergency response to increase food availability across the island. In this economic climate, the MM project had to pivot and divert staff resources to meet emergency food needs and increased demand for DA BOX CSA produce. Through these activities we are able to maintain social distancing and ensure all staff and volunteers are taking the proper precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The MM project recruited 30+ volunteers in Year 3, including 11 students/recent graduates. Volunteer duties included receiving and processing produce; food distribution; answering customer inquiries; processing payments; and cleaning of crates, refrigerators, and vehicles. TFB recently hired three of their regular volunteers in the CSA program. Increased staff support was needed because CSA orders more than doubled since COVID-19. On average TFB distributed 575 CSA shares a week. More residents are turning to CSAs to purchase produce as it minimizes their contact with the public and are spending more time cooking at home. In addition to three new hires, TKC contracted Quality Assurance Coordinator, Zoe Banfield, to implement processes for produce receiving and handling by the staff/volunteers, and advise on program improvements. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Survey data on the impacts of the MM on customers and farmers has been collected by contracted evaluator; an additional round of surveys and a focus group with program farmers will take place in August. TKC and TFB leadership have presented program evaluation and sales data at a number of county, state, and national conference. TKC and TFB's participation in these conferences helped to bolster interest in the DA BUX SNAP incentives issued through the MM, and it helped secure $447,250 in local match funding for the continuation of DA BUX incentives. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Prior to COVID-19, TFB was successful in meeting all major project goals except for Goal 1-b which was to draw an average of 100 customers per market day. Now with experience running a pop-up market, TFB realizes that attracting 100 customers in a short window of 1-2 hours is highly unrealistic. Given the labor needed to drive, set up, and break down a pop-up market for a few dozen customers, we do not plan to continue these operations. The branded name, "DA BUS Mobile Market", will likely be discontinued or used to promote a different service tailored more for the growing senior and home-bound population. TFB will absorb MM project staff and funds to sustain the growing DA BOX CSA program, which reaches the same target population of low-income households in low-food access areas and provides the same affordability for fresh Hawaii grown produce.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, The Kohala Center (TKC) and The Food Basket (TFB) discontinued the original services of the DA BUS Mobile Market (MM) in March 2020, which included sales of discounted produce through a pop-up market. The original operations posed a risk to senior program customers. As a result, the MM project now solely focuses on providing mobile produce through DA BOX Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) and emergency food distributions. In this way staff and volunteer contact with customers is limited by a drive-thru pick-up procedure at 20+ sites across Hawaii Island. 1a In June 2020 a mass mailing promoting the CSA was sent to 171,451 SNAP recipients on Hawaii Island through the Department of Human Services (DHS). Prior to the discontinuation of the original MM services, DA BUS was promoted to 1,200+ seniors participating in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). 1b MM operated at 8 sites across Hawaii County on a monthly basis in tandem with food pantry and CSFP distributions, including 4 sites within food desert regions. Each site drew an average of 21 unduplicated customers; a 24% increase from 2019. 1c An average of 42% were SNAP recipients at any given site. 1d An average of 54% of produce sold was paid with SNAP-EBT and matching DA BUX incentive dollars on any given day. 1e Of the 233 unique SNAP customers who purchased from the MM in Year 3, 151 (65%) were repeat customers. 1f TFB's East Hawaii SNAP Outreach Specialist attends a minimum of two MM a sites per month. When she is present, her primary outreach is to individuals attending the food pantry or CSFP distribution operating concurrently with MM. SNAP outreach is promoted through flyers inserted into food pantry bags. The MM Coordinator provides SNAP information to customers and outreach materials are available at checkout. 1g Since March 2020, TFB coordinated an average of 13 emergency food distributions per month. By June 2020, 1,271,468 lbs. of emergency food was distributed (16% Hawaii grown). In June alone 19,533 individuals were served. This direct service was provided because partner food pantries and soup kitchens discontinued operations as nearly all sites were operated by high-risk seniors. 2a Food Access Coordinator, Sarah Freeman, leads the Hawaii Island Food Alliance (HIFA), a position created by Hawaii County in 2018. Freeman holds regular meetings with food system stakeholders. TKC and TFB's participation in HIFA has resulted in stronger community relationships and new collaborative projects, including Kokua Harvest gleaning program in partnership with the County and the distribution of emergency frozen meals in partnership with local restaurants. 2b TFB and Blue Zones (BZ) provided collaborative nutrition education at 6 events in Year 3. Events and attendance include: Ladies Night Out (300), East Hawaii Schools Health and Wellness Symposium (75), National Food Day (300), East Hawaii BZ Celebration (300), North Hawaii BZ Celebration (200), East Hawaii County BZ Wellness Event (150). 2c Hawaii Community College gave away 2,000+ vegetable plant starts for local vegetables at emergency food distributions. 3a TFB directly purchased produce from 59 farms in Year 3 for their two mobile produce programs, DA BUS Mobile Market and DA BOX CSA. Purchases made helped farmers who were struggling economically from the impacts of the 2018 Kilauea lava eruptions and flooding from Hurricane Lane. 3b In Year 3, 69,604 lbs. of produce was purchased and resold to the community through two mobile produce programs. 3c The variability of Hawaii's pests and weather makes it difficult for some farmers to predict yields and harvest schedules. Consequently, the MM Coordinator allows partner farmers to call in orders as little as a week in advance. Partner farms commit to growing specific products for TFB; staff accept these products once the farm has enough available to meet program needs. The MM and CSA programs continue to promote the expansion of crop acreage, according to consistent verbal feedback received from farms. 3d TKC's independent evaluator conducted surveys of farmers in Year 2 and found 100% of farmers had positive and profitable experiences. 3e While TFB has received inquiries, so far this has not been a service that has worked out scheduling wise for either TFB or island farmers. 4a The MM Coordinator has established a great camaraderie with many of the regular customers. She often brings items customers have never eaten before such as daikon, turmeric, or turnips. Customers are not afraid to ask her how to use these items and what the nutritional benefits are. An ongoing display of educational materials is provided including recipes to reach 100% of customers. 4b A formal referral system, connecting clinic patients with TFB's mobile produce programs has not been implemented; however, the SNAP Outreach Coordinator has a strong relationship with certain clinics where she continually updates their staff of TFB's services. 5a HIFA hosted National Food Day on October 26, 2019, at KTA Super Stores attracting over 300 participants. TKC, TFB, BZ, and UH-CTAHR hosted booths along with local food producers and over 500 edible plant starts were distributed. 5b The community events mentioned in Goal 2-b as well as three additional food system educational events involved collaborators from two health clinics, three social service agencies, one ag co-op, four food hubs, and one university partner. 5c TFB was not able to meet the goal to sell non-perishable items (e.g. toiletry items, cleaning products) to MM customers. Setting up each MM site with produce and free food pantry inventory alone was a labor-intensive process. Typically the Coordinator and only one volunteer would run the entire setup, operation, and site break down. They found there was limited space to setup a display of non-perishable items for sale, which would require additional processing and wait times for customers at checkout. 5d See Goal 1-g.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project is SNAP recipients, especially those living in food deserts with low-income and low-access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables. We also served those impacted by disaster island-wide. Changes/Problems:Hawai'i Island experienced back-to-back disasters in 2018. On May 3, 2018, the residents of a subdivision in the Puna district had minutes to flee volcanic eruptions that destroyed many of their homes. Over the next few months, 24 fissures created lava fountains up to 200 feet high, emissions of toxic gases and lava flows that covered nearly 14 square miles of land (much of it farmland) and created 875 acres of new land. The eruption destroyed 716 homes and resulted in $236.5 million in damages to roads, waterlines, and government facilities. Damage from daily earthquakes and volcanic ash forced the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park to close, severely impacting tourism and causing structural damage to homes and buildings in the region. From August 22-26 of 2018, Hurricane Lane, a category 5 hurricane affected the Hawaiian Islands severely impacting east Hawai'i Island with torrential rains and strong winds, flooding multiple neighborhoods, causing landslides and downing trees and power lines. In December of 2018 and lasting through February of 2019, the partial federal government shutdown delivered further impact to furloughed or still working federal employees on Hawai'i Island. These three events have resulted in an overall 30% increase in emergency food demand and distribution at The Food Basket, and illustrated the importance of The Food Basket's services and the need caused by disruptions in employment and housing. Hawai'i Island is still in the early days of disaster recovery, which FEMA estimates make take at least 10 years. Given the above-mentioned events, the MM did not perform as well as we projected for Year 2, both in number of customers and purchase of FFV. However, there was a considerable increase in the amount of emergency food requested and distributed island-wide, including fresh local produce. While performance has not been as planned, it has become apparent that both the MM and CSA programs are filling a critical niche for new farmers as well as those recovering from disaster affected farms in our ability to buy small and diverse batches of produce which allows farmers to slowly build and/or rebuild their crops. Reaching our goal of SNAP recipients was also a challenge given that five out of the eight sites were coordinated with food pantries or CSFP that operate in the second half of the month when SNAP recipients have depleted or nearly depleted their monthly EBT allowance. SNAP recipients who depleted their allowance but wanted to make a purchase had to use cash. Because these cash payments were not recorded as SNAP transactions, these customers ultimately were not captured in this goal's outcome percentage. Moving forward, additional sites will be scheduled in the first half of the month to capture greater SNAP sales. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The MM Coordinator has worked closely with the Hawai'i County's First to Work Program (F2W) and provided work development opportunities for 2 individuals in Year 2. F2W was created to support work eligible individuals with children who are eager to enter or reenter the work force. The MM Coordinator is a success story of F2W because her volunteer commitment allowed The Food Basket to determine that she was a good fit for the culture of the organization and that she had the right skill set to perform the duties of MM Coordinator. Now, the MM Coordinator trains F2W volunteers on how to manage purchasing and sales data in hard copy form and in Excel spreadsheets. She also trains F2W volunteers about the seasonality and variety of produce available on Hawai'i Island and the unique demands for produce in specific communities. Other community volunteers were recruited to help with MM under the leadership of MM Coordinator. She brings at least one volunteer to each MM site to help with the setup, sales, and breakdown of the market. A total of 30 volunteers have helped at the sites in Year 2, 3 of which are high school students or recent high school graduates and one is a participant of the Hawai'i County Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Food Basket's Executive Director has presented on the experience preparing and launching the MM program as well anecdotal customer feedback at a number of conferences at the county, state and national level. Data on the impacts of the MM has been collected by a contracted evaluator and a current PhD candidate in Learning Design and Technology at University of Hawai'i at M?noa. The evaluator has conducted preliminary surveys with MM customers about the frequency of their produce purchasing and consumption. These results have been included in presentations to County administrators, legislators and funders interested in supporting food security for the state. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are optimistic about fully achieving our goals in Year 3. The unforeseen weather events heavily impacted the low income communities we work in both in Year 1 & 2. In Fall of 2018, we achieved Goal 1-a of promoting the MM to a minimum of 30,000 low-income residents. We ran our first 30-second radio advertisement for 10 days from September 13-22, 2018. The advertisement directed listeners to go to hawaiifoodbasket.org to learn more about the MM and The Food Basket's other nutrition programs for SNAP recipients. We increased the Year 1 average of 15 customers per market day to an average of 17 customers per market day - falling short of the 50 per market day as hoped for Year 2, but still an increase. Year 2's goal to reach 75 customers per market day is a goal for Year 3. In Year 3 we plan to do additional radio promotions to draw more SNAP recipients and increase the proportion of our customer base from 27% to 50% (Goal 1-c). With these ads, more SNAP recipients will learn about our 50% discount on EBT produce purchases. We hope continue to offer this incentive to bring new SNAP recipients to our sites through a 2019-2021GusNIP grant. An award of $25,000 from the HMSA health insurance company allows us to continue produce discounts throughout Year 2 and potential extending into Year 3. Lastly, Goal 1-c will be addressed by scheduling additional pop-up market sites in the first half of the month (Goal 1-c). Currently, five out of the nine sites are coordinated with food pantries or CSFP that operate in the second half of the month when EBT recipients have depleted or nearly depleted their monthly allowance. We are also going to discontinue our low performance sites. In reaching Goal 3-a, the MM Coordinator aims to continue to order from one to two new Hawai'i Island farms per month beyond the 25 farms she currently orders from.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1-a: In Year 2, outreach has included advertising with Pacific Media Group (PMG) on KAPA and DA BEAT radio stations. The ads ran for 10 days each month from September to December 2018. In the first month, the ad reached 23,623 adults an average of 6.8 times, aged 25-54, in data provided by PMG's analysis. In summer of 2019, Hawaii Medical Service Association (Hawaii's largest healthcare insurer) included DA BUS Mobile Market (MM) schedule in their Island Scene magazine with an estimated reach of 500,000 households. The MM was promoted to over 7,000 unduplicated individuals since February 2018 by The Food Basket's (TFB) Supplemental Assistance Program (SNAP) East and West Hawaii Outreach Specialists. SNAP registration is also promoted to low-income individuals and MM flyers are included in their outreach. TFB's online presence for DA BUS is its website (https://www.hawaiifoodbasket.org/da-bus/), a Facebook webpage (https://www.facebook.com/DABUSthefoodbasket/), and periodic posts to TFB's social media sites. The DA BUS schedule and images of produce available were shared with 1,176 Facebook followers and 469 Instagram followers. 1-b: MM operated at nine sites across Hawaii County on a monthly basis in tandem with food pantry and commodity supplemental food program (CSFP) distributions. Five of the sites are located within food desert regions, and 2 are located within 5 miles of the recent Kilauea volcano lava flows which displaced an estimated 2,800 residents. Each site drew an average of 17 unduplicated fresh-produce-purchase customers during the pop-up market stop. 1-c: On average, 27% of customers were SNAP recipients at any given market site. 1-d: On average, 58% of produce sold was paid with SNAP-EBT and matching DA BUX incentive dollars on any given market day, an increase of 22% in Year 2. 1-e: Of the 164 unique SNAP customers who purchased from the MM, 70 customers or 34% purchased from the MM on at least two separate market days. In Year 2 there was an increase in the percentage of SNAP repeat purchase customers to 43%, a 9% increase over Year 1. 1-f: TFB's East Hawaii SNAP Outreach Specialist currently attends a minimum of two MM sites a month on an ad hoc basis. When she is present, her primary outreach is to individuals attending the food pantry or CSFP distribution operating concurrently with MM. SNAP outreach is promoted through flyers inserted into food pantry bags. The MM Coordinator provides SNAP information for her customers and outreach materials are available at checkout. As a SNAP recipient herself, she is trained to gather contact information and refer customers to outreach specialists or explain the application process, so customers feel empowered to apply on their own. 1-g: TFB distributed emergency food to sites where food pantries are not available (Paauilo and Papaaloa) and sites where food supplies are limited (Honokaa, Kohala, Kau) including 58,791 pounds of non-perishable pantry items. TFB distributed 7,000 lbs. of emergency non-perishable food and 2,000 lbs. of fresh local produce to federal employees during the partial Federal Government Shutdown at pop-up sites in both Kona and Hilo. 2-a: In Year 2, a full-time Food Access Coordinator (Silvan Shawe) was hired by Hawaii County to expand the food system network HIFA established and to facilitate the network's identification and implementation of strategic food system interventions including ensuring low-income residents are represented in the food system network. Ms. Shawe has engaged the Hawaii Island Food Alliance (HIFA) membership into organizing a 2nd Annual Food Summit on September 26th which will feature presentations to further improve low income food access and food security for Hawaii Island residents. 2-b: Blue Zones provided cooking and gardening workshops and free edible plant starts in coordination with MM at each of the eight sites in 2018 with an estimated 725 people in attendance: Nanawale Community Center (100); Naalehu Sacred Hearts Church (40); Pahala New Kau District Gym (100); Pahoa Sacred Hearts Church (80); Ocean View Jude's Episcopal Church (70); Hilo Tennis Stadium (200); Pepeekeo Community Center (100); Papaaloa Gym (35). Ten community events were organized in collaboration with other community agencies, reaching over 3,500 estimated attendees: HMNO's "Ladies Night Out" (100); Hawaii County "Employee Wellness Fair" (242); East Hawaii School's "Health and Wellness Symposium" (20); National Food Day (1,000); HMSA's "Akamai Living" (100); Big Island Substance Abuse Council's "Summer Jam" (1,000); Pahoa's "Wellness Community Day" (200); "We Are Community" event at Waimea Elementary School (300); the "Double Up Food Bucks Symposium" on Oahu (100); and University of Hawaii's Cooperative Extension's "Taste of the Range" (500). 2-c: Please see Goal 2-b. 3-a: The MM directly purchased produce from 25 Hawaii Island farms in Year 2, including farms that had been heavily affected by the Kilauea lava eruption disaster or damaged by the floods from Hurricane Lane and were attempting to rebuild their businesses. 3-b: A total of 5,272 lbs. of produce was purchased for MM sales September through June 2018. Additionally, MM assisted in the distribution of community-supported agriculture (CSA) subscription bags. In Year 2, 60,020 lbs. of produce was purchased for the CSA for a total of 65,292 lbs. of produce between the MM and CSA programs and a total of 1,107 pounds of produce per week. In Year 2, the MM and CSA programs donated 2,015 lbs. of excess produce to community food pantries and congregate meals sites. 3-c: MM coordinates orders with TFB's larger produce program, DA BOX CSA. The CSA has an established year-round schedule with several vendors who plant or germinate accordingly and can rely on TFB to purchase their product on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. More vendors are beginning to consider committing to a planned annual calendar of purchases. Both the MM and CSA programs continue to promote the expansion of crop acreage, according to consistent verbal feedback received from farms. 3-d: TFB's independent program evaluator, conducted surveys of farmers in Year 2 and found 100% of farmers had positive and profitable experiences. 3-e: While we have received inquiries, so far this has not been a service that has worked out scheduling wise for either TFB or island farmers. 4-a: The MM Coordinator has established a great camaraderie with many of the regular customers at her sites. She often brings items customers have never eaten before such as daikon, turmeric, or turnips. Customers are not afraid to ask her how to use these items and what the nutritional benefits are. An ongoing display of educational materials is provided including recipes to reach 100% of customers. 4-b: In Year 2, the following five medical clinics referred patients to the MM or CSA and several of these clinics are also drop-off sites for DA BOX CSA. 5-a: HIFA members had their annual Food Day event on October 27, 2018, at three KTA Super Stores locations. TKC, TFB, Blue Zones Project, and UH-CTAHR hosted educational booths along with local food producers. Over 500 edible plant starts were distributed to customers during the event and an estimated 1,000 attendees at the three stores participated in activities. 5-b: In addition to the community events mentioned in Goal 2-b, TFB and its partner service providers shared program information at five other health and wellness events and one food system event. Collaborators across the 14 events included two healthcare systems, 10 schools, three social service agencies, one ag co-op, one food hub, and two university partners. 5-c: A wholesale account was created with KTA in 2018, but to date we have not had requests for non-perishable grocery items from MM clientele. Our plan going forward is to make toiletry kits available for purchase at the MM. 5-d: See Goal 1-g.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this project is SNAP recipients, especially those living in food desserts with low-income and low-access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables. Changes/Problems:There was a six-month delay in initiating the operation of DA BUS Mobile Market (MM). The primary reason was due to a sudden change in leadership and restructuring of the sub-recipient organization, The Food Basket, Inc. In September 2017, the former Executive Director resigned, and the former Director of Grants and Compliance, became the Interim Executive Director. The Interim Executive Director began her term with a Board of Directors directive to quickly cut over $140,000 in personnel cost. Operating on a leaner staff with redefined roles, The Food Basket had limited capacity to launch the new program at the start of the grant period. MM operations were also limited by not having a dedicated vehicle or mobile unit for the program. The procurement process of researching suppliers and finalizing a purchase took several months from December 2017-March 2018. The chosen vendor then needed to outfit the vehicle with Thermo-King refrigeration and ship the vehicle from California to Hawai'i. By March, we knew a vehicle would not be available for use until June 2018. Rather than waiting for a dedicated vehicle, The Food Basket's Food Insecurity and Incentive (FINI) Coordinator launched the MM on a small scale until a full-time MM Coordinator was hired. She needed to share a cargo van with The Food Basket's CSA program. Lastly, back-to-back natural disasters - a volcanic eruption and a hurricane - limited MM expansion once the full-time coordinator was hired and ready to operate a full-scale schedule. Just under three weeks on the job, on May 3, 2018, K?lauea Volcano erupted 22 miles south of The Food Basket's Hilo warehouse. The eruption lasted for three months covering hundreds of homes and displacing an estimated 2,800 residents. Warehouse personnel time was devoted to collecting donations of food, monies, and non-food supplies (tents, flashlights, blankets, soap, etc.), and to distributing these resources to lava evacuees. The MM continued operation, however, the crisis prevented residents from leaving their homes to shop at the MM. In 4 out of the 8 sites, volcanic ash and noxious fumes kept residents indoors, and many lava evacuees did not want to purchase from the MM because they did not have refrigeration or were in transition to a new home or shelter. Hawai'i Island faced a second disaster following the K?lauea eruption, in mid-August. Hurricane Lane brought record measurements of rain and flooding to Hawai'i Island. Public schools and County offices were closed for three days and many farms lost their crops due to heavy rains and flooding. Many homes today continue to rebuild from the flooding. While focusing on quickly establishing the core operations of MM under these stresses--site logistics, marketing, produce orders, and sales--the MM Coordinator and support staff had limited time to develop a comprehensive system of data collection to measure all program goals. Now that there is growing customer base and established market schedule at eight sites, Year 2 will allow time for a refocus on program evaluation and project improvements. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The MM Coordinator gained the most in training and professional development from the MM project. She started volunteering with the MM in January 2018 under the Hawai'i County First to Work Program (F2W). F2W was created to support work eligible individuals with children who are eager to enter or reenter the work force. The MM Coordinator is a success story of F2W because her volunteer commitment allowed The Food Basket to determine that she was a good fit for the culture of the organization and that she had the right skill set to perform the duties of MM Coordinator. Upon her hire in April 2018, her supervisor trained her on how to manage her purchasing and sales data in hard copy form and in Excel spreadsheets. She is also constantly learning about the seasonality and variety of produce available on Hawai'i Island, and the unique demands for produce in specific communities. Other volunteers were recruited to help with MM under the leadership of MM Coordinator. She brings at least one volunteer to each MM site to help with the setup, sales, and breakdown of the market. A total of 6 volunteers have helped at the sites since MM began operation, 3 of which are high school students or recent high school graduates and 1 is a participant of the Hawai'i County Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Food Basket's Executive Director has presented on the experience preparing and launching the MM program as well anecdotal customer feedback at a number of conferences at the county, state and national level: Hawai'i State Forum on Financing/Resources for Food Security National Good Food Network Conference National Community Food Systems Conference University of Hawai'i M?noa, Nutrition Department presentation University of Hawai'i Hilo, Business School presentation Hawai'i Island Food Alliance Convening National Double Up Food Bucks Convening Hawai'i State SNAP-Ed Workshop Hawai'i Hunger Coalition County of Hawai'i Council Data on the impacts of the MM are currently being collected by a contracted evaluator and a current PhD candidate in Learning Design and Technology at University of Hawai'i-M?noa. The evaluator has conducted preliminary surveys with MM customers about the frequency of their produce purchasing and consumption. These results will be included in future presentations to County administrators, legislators, and funders interested in supporting food security for the state. They will also be included in The Kohala Center's and The Food Basket's annual reports. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are optimistic about fully achieving our goals in Year 2. We know the less than optimal results reported are due to the six-month delay in initiating the MM, half of the sites hosting only 2-3 market days in Year 1, and a lack of personnel capacity and a dedicated MM vehicle at the start of the grant period, in addition to two natural disasters in the targeted delivery area noted in the Challenges section below. In September 2018, we already approached Goal 1-a of promoting the MM to a minimum of 30,000 low-income residents. We ran our first 30-second radio advertisement for 10 days from September 13-22, 2018. The advertisement directed listeners to go to hawaiifoodbasket.org to learn more about the MM and The Food Basket's other nutrition programs for SNAP recipients. There are 30 more days of radio advertisement scheduled for the remainder of the 2018 calendar year. With this promotion, we are hopeful we can increase our current average of 15 customers per market day to an average of 50 customers per market day (Goal 1-b for Year 1). Year 2's goal to reach 75 customers per market day may need to shift to a goal for Year 3. Likewise, the radio promotion will help us draw more SNAP recipients and increase their proportion of our customer base from 27% to 50% (Goal 1-c). Through this ad, more SNAP recipients are learning about our 50% discount on EBT produce purchases. We will continue to offer this incentive to bring new SNAP recipients to our sites. A grant award of $64,666 from the Sophie Russell Testamentary Trust and a recent grant award of $25,000 from the HMSA health insurance company ensure the continuation of produce discounts throughout Year 2. Lastly, Goal 1-c will be addressed by scheduling additional sites in the first half of the month (Goal 1-c). Currently, 5 out of the 8 sites are coordinated with food pantries that operate in the second half of the month when EBT recipients have depleted or nearly depleted their monthly allowance. In reaching Goal 3-a, the MM Coordinator aims to order from 1 to 2 new Hawai'i Island farms per month until she orders from a total of 25 suppliers. She will continue to consult the more senior staff on farms they have ordered from to supply the CSA program. On average, the CSA program orders from over 25 farms per year.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1-a: Annual outreach to a minimum 30,000 low-income individuals: 28,261. The Mobile Market (MM) has been promoted to 2,661 individuals including at health and wellness community events. One of the largest events attended was Tropic Care, which served 1,841 low-income individuals over 9 days. The Food Basket (TFB) created an online presence for the MM through its website and posts to social media: Facebook (954), Instagram (295). Blue Zones (BZ) Project promoted the MM in an e-newsletter (19,529), Facebook (2,206), and Instagram (775), and at community events. Goal 1-b: Schedule 8 sites for MM in low-income/low-access areas and draw an average of 50 customers per market day in Year 1. MM operated 8 markets (15 customers/site). We expect to double attendance in Year 2 as more people learn about the program, including via a fall 2018 radio campaign. Goal 1-c: A minimum of 50% of MM customers will be SNAP recipients as tracked by sales. On average, 27% of customers were SNAP recipients because the MM often operated in the second half of the month when monthly EBT allowance is (nearly) depleted; in 2019 sites will be scheduled in the first half of the month to capture greater SNAP sales. Goal 1-d: A minimum of 25% of purchases will be paid for with SNAP-EBT cards. On average, 36% of produce was paid with SNAP-EBT and matching DA BUX incentive dollars. Goal 1-e: Increase proportion of customers who are repeat purchasers by 5% annually from Year 1 baseline as measured by sales. Of the 71 SNAP customers who purchased from the MM, 24 customers (34%) purchased on at least 2 separate market days. Goal 1-f: Provide SNAP Outreach materials and SNAP Outreach Specialists on a rotating schedule at all MM sites: TFB's East Hawai'i SNAP Outreach Specialist attends 2 MM sites/month, promoting SNAP registration through pantry bag flyers. Goal 1-g: Deliver emergency food boxes to sites where food pantries are not present or food supplies are limited and/or as requested by area emergency food providers. TFB distributed 699 emergency food shares to 3 sites and 7,046 lbs. of emergency produce to shelters servicing volcano evacuees. Goal 2-a: Expand HIFA (Hawai'i Island Food Alliance) to include broader representation from low-income residents and community-based agencies. HIFA successfully lobbied the County to build collaborative capacity within Hawai'i Island's food system. In August 2018, the County announced the creation of a Food Access Coordinator position. Goal 2-b: With Blue Zones (BZ)-Hawai'i, provide 8 public workshops annually drawing an average of 75 attendees to help residents grow and prepare their own food. BZ provided workshops in cooking and gardening at 3 MM days in P?hala with over 100 individuals consistently attending. Educators shared expertise on growing and preparing fresh fruits and vegetables. TFB attended BZ' East Hawai'i School Symposium where 100 faculty discussed availability of affordable produce through the MM, community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, and partner famers markets/grocery stores. Five events were organized in collaboration with: Tropic Care, 1,841 individuals; Hawai'i County Employee Wellness Fair, 300; P?hoa Schools Complex Health and Wellness Event, 300 attendees; National Food Day, 1,000; and a screening of the documentary Wasted, 75. Goal 2-c: Work with SNAP-Ed instructors, UH Cooperative Extension Nutrition Education Wellness program, and Master Gardeners (MG) who will provide customers with assistance in starting or expanding food production preparing nutritious meals. We scheduled for SNAP-Ed instructors to attend 4 MM sites. Instructors demonstrated how to prepare salads and passed out seeds and salad samples. Goal 3-a: Enroll a minimum of 25 local growers annually as MM produce suppliers, providing stable income through planned produce orders and quick product reimbursement. MM directly purchased from 14 county farms in Year 1. We will continue to recruit local suppliers in Year 2. Goal 3-b: Annually purchase a minimum of 15,000 lbs. of produce for DA BUS (310 lbs./week for 49 weeks), sell 14,000 lbs. of produce, and donate excess to community food pantries and/or meal sites, as measured by procurement and sales records. A total of 1,242 lbs. of produce was purchased for MM sales during its start-up phase. MM assisted in the distribution of CSA bags, a program which purchased 53,020 lbs. of produce and donated 1,500 lbs. of excess to community food pantries and meals sites. Goal 3-c: Expand crops supported through MM with a calendar of planned produce purchases that are communicated and ordered in advance for farmers to plan their crops, including Pacific Island canoe crops. MM coordinates orders with TFB's larger produce program, DA BOX CSA. Due to steadily increasing quantities ordered by the two programs, these vendors plant or germinate and rely on TFB to purchase product on a bi/weekly basis. MM and CSA promote the expansion of crop acreage, according to the farmers' feedback. Goal 3-d: A minimum of 90% of participating farmers report profitable experiences with the program as measured through annual supplier surveys. Evaluation will begin in Year 2. Goal 3-e: Use MM to backhaul product for producers selling to institutions facilitating produce delivery island-wide as space allows on market routes. We received one inquiry on backhauling services and plan to expand this service in Year 2. Goal 4-a: 100% of MM customers will be offered education on produce use, cooking, and nutrition for prevention and self-management of chronic disease. The MM Coordinator often brings items they have never eaten before such as daikon, turmeric, or turnips. We provide ongoing displays of educational materials including recipes to reach 100% of customers. Goal 4-b: Providers from at least five area medical clinics and/or individual physicians will refer or prescribe patients to use MM for FFV purchase as measured by partner agency referral records. The MM Coordinator will begin to address this goal in Year 2. Goal 5-a: MM partners will participate in and expand HIFA's annual Food Day events at participating grocery stores, farmers markets, and schools. HIFA hosted food day in October 2018, at 3 county KTA Super Stores. The Kohala Center (TKC), TFB, BZ Project, UH CTAHR will be hosting educational booths along with local food producers. Goal 5-b: Build networks between customers and agencies from a minimum of 2 healthcare systems, 10 Hawai'i Department of Education (DOE) schools, 3 clinics serving primarily low-income clients in the target areas, 15 food pantries and or congregate meal sites, 3 social service agencies, 30 farms, 2 agricultural coops, 1 food hub, and 1 university partner through 8 annual collaborative community education events. In addition to the 5 community events mentioned in Goal 2-b, TFB and its partner service providers shared information at 5 other health and wellness events (Ladies Night Out, M?lama N? Keiki, Diabetes Awareness Month Health Fair, College of Pharmacy Health Fair, and Annual Homeless Luncheon), and 1 food system-focused event (Taste of the Hawaiian Range). Collaborators across the 11 events included 2 healthcare system (Hui M?lama N? '?iwi and West Hawai'i Community Health Center), 10 DOE schools, 3 social service agency (BZ Project, HOPE Services, and USDA-Farm Service Agency), 1 co-op (Hawaii 'Ulu Cooperative), 1 food hub (TFB), and 2 university partners (UH CTAHR and College of Pharmacy). TKC provides access to 30 of its farm and food producing clients. Goal 5-c: Purchases of staple non-perishable grocery items will be sourced from local grocer. A wholesale account was created with KTA Super Stores to begin selling high-need household items Year 2. Goal 5-d: Emergency food boxes that include donated food for 3-5 days of meals will be available to eligible residents at no cost from The Food Basket. See Goal 1-g.
Publications
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