Progress 06/01/18 to 05/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:Double Up Food Bucks Colorado (Double Up) reached 4,683 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) customers in 2016-2019. The program offers an optional customer survey to measure demographics and experience of the Double Up program. The target audience is anyone enrolled in SNAP. In 2019, 47.3% of the respondents had a college degree or higher. Women continue to constitute the majority of users (77.1% in 2019). In 2019, while most customers identified as White (79%), 10% identified as Hispanic or Latino, and 11% were other races. Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, of all individuals living in poverty in Colorado, 56% identified as White and 26% identified as Hispanic or Latino. While poverty rates could be used as a proxy for SNAP-eligible populations, the current political climate of fear and intimidation, fewer immigrant and refugee populations are enrolling in federal food assistance programs. Customers with children under the age of 18 represented nearly half of the sample (49% in 2019). It should be noted that 41% of unique customers did not report any family information. Importantly, in 2019, over 19% of respondents reported using Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits, up from less than 1% in 2016. This finding is significant because of the programmatic improvements in 2017 and 2018 to engage institutional partners from WIC in the Double Up program. Through the 2019 survey, respondents reported that as a result of Double Up they: Buy more fruits and vegetables (83% agree or strongly agree) Eat more fruits and vegetables (84% agree or strongly agree) Have tried new fruits and vegetables for the first time (72% agree or strongly agree) Visit the market because of Double Up (73% agree or strongly agree) Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?LiveWell provides training and professional development to participating market managers and community outreach partners throughout the year. Examples of training and technical assistance offered to market managers and partners in 2019 include: Double Up New Market Training: Markets new to the Double Up program have the opportunity to learn about program logistics and best practices for a successful Double Up program based on other market managers' tips and experience. Double Up Returning Market Training. Returning markets have the opportunity to learn and reflect on the previous market season and develop a peer group for markets to share information via DropBox. This training was also held separately for retail and CSA settings to address the unique assets and challenges at these venues when offering Double Up. Welcoming and Inclusive Market Session: LiveWell hosted a webinar about setting up welcoming and inclusive markets with seven participants and posted the webinar online. The Double Up Program Manager offered one-on-one sessions with two markets. Technical Assistance: Every market associated with Double Up is assigned a technical assistance provider (the Double Up program manager or a CFMA staff member). The TA provider visits the market over the summer, helps troubleshoot issues that arise while running the program, and meets individually to discuss how to make the program run as successfully as possible in urban, rural, and suburban communities. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Following each Double Up season, LiveWell produces an evaluation report, which is distributed to market partners and a variety of program stakeholders throughout the state. The reports are available on the LiveWell and Double Up website. LiveWell also hosted three regional Double Up symposia in late 2019 and early 2020 to gather information about the program and share evaluation results. The final 2019 report will be finished and distributed by September 1, 2020. A summary of evaluation results are shared at each market training, the Colorado Farmers Market Association, the Department of Human Services County Directors' meeting, and at the Double Up symposia. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1. Increase fruit and vegetable consumption and long-term healthy eating amongst SNAP recipients. 83% of Double Up participants reported an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption. (Goal: 90%.) 84% of customers agreed that they eat more fruits and vegetables in 2018. The long-term Double Up Cohort interviews did not show that customers increased their consumption fruits and vegetables. However, these interviews are not conclusive evidence that the program is not changing behaviors. Only 15 current and former Double Up participants took part in the interviews. Eleven of the respondents said that their shopping patterns had changed since the first time they used Double Up. It will be important to continue monitoring evaluation results long-term. Please note, due to funding and capacity, LiveWell did not conduct cohort interviews in 2019. (Goal: 60% of interviewed Double Up participants report consuming more fruits and vegetables six, 12, and 18 months after participating in the program.) In 2019, 764 adults participated in 50 farmers market tours. Based on customer surveys, about 70% of customers said they received information about cooking or purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables at the market they were surveyed at, and 88% of customers who received information said they were more likely to buy fruits and vegetables because of that interaction. (Goal: Integrate nutrition education messaging into Double Up outreach in all counties.) Goal 2. Strengthen local agricultural economies through Double Up. Double Up distributed $41,603 between November 2019 - February 2020. (Goal: $15,000 of incentives are spent by Double Up participants atpartner sites during the winter season.) In 2019, $254,248 in Double Up incentives, an increase from $165,357 in 2018 (48% increase), and $296,729 in SNAP spending, an increase from $190,044 in 2019 (56% increase), were spent at Double Up venues. This is a total of $550,978 incentives boosting the business of Colorado produce vendors and bringing SNAP and Double Up retailers. The program added 11 new locations for a total of 65 sites. The Fresh Incentives technology pilot locations continued, now with 26 sites. LiveWell included a goal of increasing the number of participants each year (there were 1,171 unique users in 2016, 5,755 in 2017, 4,401 in 2018, and 4,683 in 2019). This goal has been difficult to achieve. What we have learned over the past two years is that while the overall number of unique users is not growing substantially, the number of incentives redeemed does continue to grow. That means that more participants are using the program more than one time. This is important as it means that Double Up is having a deeper impact on participants as they spend more money on fresh fruits and vegetables. (Goal: Increase Double Up SNAP participants by 25% over 2017.) Goal 3. Diversify and extend the season for Double Up sites. In 2019, the Double Up program operated in 65 retail locations, an decrease of 32% in number of sites from 2018, with 43 farmers markets and farm stands (goal: 57 farmers markets and farm stands), two CSA programs (goal: seven CSA/food box programs), no Lowe's Mercado supermarket locations (goal: two supermarkets), 12 neighborhood retailers/small corner store retailers (goal: 14 small corner store retailers), and eight direct farms (no goal in 2018). It is important to note that the increase in overall incentives redeemed and total transactions indicates that LiveWell successfully eliminated low-volume sites or encouraged enough growth at continuing sites to offset losses from sites that were discontinued from last year. From an efficiency standpoint of allocating support, resources, and staff time, this increased efficiency of greater Double Up activity at fewer sites is encouraging. In 2019, Double Up was offered in no supermarket locations. LiveWell partnered with Lowe's Mercado, a grocery store chain based in Texas, in 2017 and 2018. Unfortunately, the store was unable to fully implement the program due to capacity issues. LiveWell did not partner with Lowe's in 2019. (Goal: Expand Double Up to three additional supermarkets.) Double Up was offered at 25 year-round sites in 2019, up from 17 sites in 2018. While we did not meet the goal of the grant, LiveWell is working to increase year-round sites in 2020, specifically with another grocery store chain. (Goal: Offer Double Up year-round at 3 additional sites, for a total of 26 year-round sites.) Goal 4. Integrate the promotion and implementation of Double Up into digital platforms. Double Up used the program Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/doubleupcolo/) to promote the program as well as LiveWell's Facebook and Twitter accounts to share Double Up information with a larger audience. Organically, 50,136 impressions were made, reaching 35,644 people. Additionally Double Up paid for six advertisements on Facebook to promote the program. These boosts created 261,752 media impressions. Double Up also distributes a quarter email to over 3,300 individuals. The goal of all marketing materials was to drive traffic to the Double Up website (www.doubleupcolorado.org). In 2019, the Double Up website had 21,466 unique visitors. Nearly half of the website views (9,470) were a result of click throughs form other sites, making up 44% of total website traffic. (Goal: Reach 15,000 SNAP participants using a diversified media strategy.) LiveWell integrated Double Up into two digital text platforms (discussed above). Additionally, driving traffic to the Double Up website is a goal of all marketing materials and also shared via text messages. In 2019, the Double Up website had 21,466 unique visitors. Participants noted that the most important information from text and email updates was location information about where they can use the program in their area. (Goal: Integrate Double Up into one digital platform used by SNAP recipients.) In 2019, approximately 16,000 website visits were made via Meta Locator texts to individuals who signed up for the service, while a total of 9,382 texts were made via EZ Texts, with 2,216 unique individuals opted into the service. (Goal: Deploy 40,000 text messages to low-income populations where Double Up is offered.) Goal 5. Build regional capacity to sustain Double Up. Double Up was offered in 28 counties in rural, suburban, and urban areas. (Goal: 28 counties.) Local flyers and posters and partnerships with county department of human services offices were prioritized strategies in 2018 and into 2019. Thirty-seven percent (37%) of participants said they heard about the program at the farmer's markets, 30% said they heard about it at their county human services or SNAP office, and 21% said they saw a flyer or poster. Flyers and posters and partnerships with county department of human services offices were prioritized strategies in 2018. Both strategies greatly increased compared to the previous two years. LiveWell developed a media and social media toolkit for local partners and Community Food Advocates to use to promote the program, which was available in 2019. The farmers market continues to be a primary source of information. This is slightly concerning as the goal of investing in marketing and outreach strategies was for customers to be driven to the program and know about double Up before visiting the market. On the other hand, it is encouraging that market managers still effectively promote the program to SNAP shoppers. (Goal: Develop locally tailored promotional materials as well as a media toolkit and support to advertise Double Up locally.) In 2019, 764 adults participated in 50 farmers market tours, with a nutrition education component. (Goal: Cooking Matters provides nutrition education and supporting programming/materials at Double Up sites to 240 participants.)
Publications
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Progress 06/01/18 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Double Up Food Bucks Colorado (Double Up) reached 4,683 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) customers in 2016-2019. The program offers an optional customer survey to measure demographics and experience of the Double Up program. The target audience is anyone enrolled in SNAP. In 2019, 47.3% of the respondents had a college degree or higher. Women continue to constitute the majority of users (77.1% in 2019). In 2019, while most customers identified as White (79%), 10% identified as Hispanic or Latino, and 11% were other races. Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, of all individuals living in poverty in Colorado, 56% identified as White and 26% identified as Hispanic or Latino. While poverty rates could be used as a proxy for SNAP-eligible populations, the current political climate of fear and intimidation, fewer immigrant and refugee populations are enrolling in federal food assistance programs. Customers with children under the age of 18 represented nearly half of the sample (49% in 2019). It should be noted that 41% of unique customers did not report any family information. Importantly, in 2019, over 19% of respondents reported using Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits, up from less than 1% in 2016. This finding is significant because of the programmatic improvements in 2017 and 2018 to engage institutional partners from WIC in the Double Up program. Through the 2019 survey, respondents reported that as a result of Double Up they: Buy more fruits and vegetables (83% agree or strongly agree) Eat more fruits and vegetables (84% agree or strongly agree) Have tried new fruits and vegetables for the first time (72% agree or strongly agree) Visit the market because of Double Up (73% agree or strongly agree) Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?LiveWell provides training and professional development to participating market managers and community outreach partners throughout the year. Examples of training and technical assistance offered to market managers and partners in 2019 include: Double Up New Market Training: Markets new to the Double Up program have the opportunity to learn about program logistics and best practices for a successful Double Up program based on other market managers' tips and experience. Double Up Returning Market Training. Returning markets have the opportunity to learn and reflect on the previous market season and develop a peer group for markets to share information via DropBox. This training was also held separately for retail and CSA settings to address the unique assets and challenges at these venues when offering Double Up. Welcoming and Inclusive Market Session: LiveWell hosted a webinar about setting up welcoming and inclusive markets with seven participants and posted the webinar online. The Double Up Program Manager offered one-on-one sessions with two markets. Technical Assistance: Every market associated with Double Up is assigned a technical assistance provider (the Double Up program manager or a CFMA staff member). The TA provider visits the market over the summer, helps troubleshoot issues that arise while running the program, and meets individually to discuss how to make the program run as successfully as possible in urban, rural, and suburban communities. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Following each Double Up season, LiveWell produces an evaluation report, which is distributed to market partners and a variety of program stakeholders throughout the state. The reports are available on the LiveWell and Double Up website. LiveWell also hosted three regional Double Up symposia in late 2019 and early 2020 to gather information about the program and share evaluation results. The final 2019 report will be finished and distributed by September 1, 2020. A summary of evaluation results are shared at each market training, the Colorado Farmers Market Association, the Department of Human Services County Directors' meeting, and at the Double Up symposia. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1. Increase fruit and vegetable consumption and long-term healthy eating amongst SNAP recipients. 83% of Double Up participants reported an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption. (Goal: 90%.) 84% of customers agreed that they eat more fruits and vegetables in 2018. The long-term Double Up Cohort interviews did not show that customers increased their consumption fruits and vegetables. However, these interviews are not conclusive evidence that the program is not changing behaviors. Only 15 current and former Double Up participants took part in the interviews. Eleven of the respondents said that their shopping patterns had changed since the first time they used Double Up. It will be important to continue monitoring evaluation results long-term. Please note, due to funding and capacity, LiveWell did not conduct cohort interviews in 2019. (Goal: 60% of interviewed Double Up participants report consuming more fruits and vegetables six, 12, and 18 months after participating in the program.) In 2019, 764 adults participated in 50 farmers market tours. Based on customer surveys, about 70% of customers said they received information about cooking or purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables at the market they were surveyed at, and 88% of customers who received information said they were more likely to buy fruits and vegetables because of that interaction. (Goal: Integrate nutrition education messaging into Double Up outreach in all counties.) Goal 2. Strengthen local agricultural economies through Double Up. Double Up distributed $41,603 between November 2019 - February 2020. (Goal: $15,000 of incentives are spent by Double Up participants atpartner sites during the winter season.) In 2019, $254,248 in Double Up incentives, an increase from $165,357 in 2018 (48% increase), and $296,729 in SNAP spending, an increase from $190,044 in 2019 (56% increase), were spent at Double Up venues. This is a total of $550,978 incentives boosting the business of Colorado produce vendors and bringing SNAP and Double Up retailers. The program added 11 new locations for a total of 65 sites. The Fresh Incentives technology pilot locations continued, now with 26 sites. LiveWell included a goal of increasing the number of participants each year (there were 1,171 unique users in 2016, 5,755 in 2017, 4,401 in 2018, and 4,683 in 2019). This goal has been difficult to achieve. What we have learned over the past two years is that while the overall number of unique users is not growing substantially, the number of incentives redeemed does continue to grow. That means that more participants are using the program more than one time. This is important as it means that Double Up is having a deeper impact on participants as they spend more money on fresh fruits and vegetables. (Goal: Increase Double Up SNAP participants by 25% over 2017.) Goal 3. Diversify and extend the season for Double Up sites. In 2019, the Double Up program operated in 65 retail locations, an decrease of 32% in number of sites from 2018, with 43 farmers markets and farm stands (goal: 57 farmers markets and farm stands), two CSA programs (goal: seven CSA/food box programs), no Lowe's Mercado supermarket locations (goal: two supermarkets), 12 neighborhood retailers/small corner store retailers (goal: 14 small corner store retailers), and eight direct farms (no goal in 2018). It is important to note that the increase in overall incentives redeemed and total transactions indicates that LiveWell successfully eliminated low-volume sites or encouraged enough growth at continuing sites to offset losses from sites that were discontinued from last year. From an efficiency standpoint of allocating support, resources, and staff time, this increased efficiency of greater Double Up activity at fewer sites is encouraging. In 2019, Double Up was offered in no supermarket locations. LiveWell partnered with Lowe's Mercado, a grocery store chain based in Texas, in 2017 and 2018. Unfortunately, the store was unable to fully implement the program due to capacity issues. LiveWell did not partner with Lowe's in 2019. (Goal: Expand Double Up to three additional supermarkets.) Double Up was offered at 25 year-round sites in 2019, up from 17 sites in 2018. While we did not meet the goal of the grant, LiveWell is working to increase year-round sites in 2020, specifically with another grocery store chain. (Goal: Offer Double Up year-round at 3 additional sites, for a total of 26 year-round sites.) Goal 4. Integrate the promotion and implementation of Double Up into digital platforms. Double Up used the program Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/doubleupcolo/) to promote the program as well as LiveWell's Facebook and Twitter accounts to share Double Up information with a larger audience. Organically, 50,136 impressions were made, reaching 35,644 people. Additionally Double Up paid for six advertisements on Facebook to promote the program. These boosts created 261,752 media impressions. Double Up also distributes a quarter email to over 3,300 individuals. The goal of all marketing materials was to drive traffic to the Double Up website (www.doubleupcolorado.org). In 2019, the Double Up website had 21,466 unique visitors. Nearly half of the website views (9,470) were a result of click throughs form other sites, making up 44% of total website traffic. (Goal: Reach 15,000 SNAP participants using a diversified media strategy.) LiveWell integrated Double Up into two digital text platforms (discussed above). Additionally, driving traffic to the Double Up website is a goal of all marketing materials and also shared via text messages. In 2019, the Double Up website had 21,466 unique visitors. Participants noted that the most important information from text and email updates was location information about where they can use the program in their area. (Goal: Integrate Double Up into one digital platform used by SNAP recipients.) In 2019, approximately 16,000 website visits were made via Meta Locator texts to individuals who signed up for the service, while a total of 9,382 texts were made via EZ Texts, with 2,216 unique individuals opted into the service. (Goal: Deploy 40,000 text messages to low-income populations where Double Up is offered.) Goal 5. Build regional capacity to sustain Double Up. Double Up was offered in 28 counties in rural, suburban, and urban areas. (Goal: 28 counties.) Local flyers and posters and partnerships with county department of human services offices were prioritized strategies in 2018 and into 2019. Thirty-seven percent (37%) of participants said they heard about the program at the farmer's markets, 30% said they heard about it at their county human services or SNAP office, and 21% said they saw a flyer or poster. Flyers and posters and partnerships with county department of human services offices were prioritized strategies in 2018. Both strategies greatly increased compared to the previous two years. LiveWell developed a media and social media toolkit for local partners and Community Food Advocates to use to promote the program, which was available in 2019. The farmers market continues to be a primary source of information. This is slightly concerning as the goal of investing in marketing and outreach strategies was for customers to be driven to the program and know about double Up before visiting the market. On the other hand, it is encouraging that market managers still effectively promote the program to SNAP shoppers. (Goal: Develop locally tailored promotional materials as well as a media toolkit and support to advertise Double Up locally.) In 2019, 764 adults participated in 50 farmers market tours, with a nutrition education component. (Goal: Cooking Matters provides nutrition education and supporting programming/materials at Double Up sites to 240 participants.)
Publications
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Progress 06/01/18 to 05/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:Double Up Food Bucks Colorado (Double Up CO) reached 11,554 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) customers in 2016-2018. The program offers an optional customer survey to measure demographics and experience of the Double Up program. The target audience is anyone enrolled in SNAP. In 2018, 39.4% of the respondents had a college degree or higher. Women continue to constitute the majority of users (19% in 2016, 25% in 2017, and 19.5% in 2018). In 2018, while most customers identified as White (75%), 6.4% identified as Native Alaskan or American Indian, 12.2% identified as Hispanic or Latino, and 3.2% identified as Black. In 2018, 32.6% of respondents were 45 or older (compared to 34% in 2016 and 45% in 2017). Customers with children under the age of 18 represented over half of the sample (49.8% in 2017 to 55.7% in 2018). Importantly, in 2018, over 20% of respondents reported using Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits, up from less than 1% in 2018. Through the 2018 survey, respondents reported that as a result of Double Up they: Buy more fruits and vegetables (81.4% agree or strongly agree) Eat more fruits and vegetables (79.7% agree or strongly agree) Have tried new fruits and vegetables for the first time (59.7% agree or strongly agree) Visit the market because of Double Up (72.4% agree or strongly agree) Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?LiveWell provides training and professional development to participating market managers and community outreach partners throughout the year. Examples of training and technical assistance offered to market managers and partners in 2018 include: Double Up New Market Training: Markets new to the Double Up program have the opportunity to learn about program logistics and best practices for a successful Double Up program based on other market managers' tips and experience. Double Up Returning Market Training. Returning markets have the opportunity to learn and reflect on the previous market season and develop a peer group for markets to share information via DropBox. This training was also held separately for retail and CSA settings to address the unique assets and challenges at these venues when offering Double Up. Welcoming and Inclusive Market Session: LiveWell hosted a webinar about setting up welcoming and inclusive markets with seven participants and posted the webinar online. The Double Up Program Manager offered one-on-one sessions with two markets. Technical Assistance: Every market associated with Double Up is assigned a technical assistance provider (the Double Up program manager or a CFMA staff member). The TA provider visits the market over the summer, helps troubleshoot issues that arise while running the program, and meets individually to discuss how to make the program run as successfully as possible in urban, rural, and suburban communities. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Following each Double Up season, LiveWell produces an evaluation report, which is distributed to market partners and a variety of program stakeholders throughout the state. The reports are available on the LiveWell and Double Up website. LiveWell also hosted five regional Double Up symposia in late 2018 and early 2019 to gather information about the program and share evaluation results. The final 2018 report will be finished and distributed by June 1, 2019. A summary of evaluation results are shared at each market training, the Colorado Farmers Market Association, the Department of Human Services County Directors' meeting, and at the Double Up symposia. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The evaluation results from 2018 revealed that the program has positive self-reported results for both SNAP participants and the vendors/retailers participating in the program. SNAP participants report buying and eating more fruits and vegetables and also trying new varieties of fruits and vegetables. Vendors and retailers also reported economic gains from increased produce sales and new customer bases. SNAP participants spent $363,401 in SNAP plus Double Up incentives in 2018. The evaluation results reveal consistent growth in Double Up redemption and, although there was a decrease in the number of unique customers in 2018, repeat customers visited more times than they had the previous year. So the program was able to have a deeper impact for a smaller group of repeat customers. The next step will be to continue that deep individual impact while also working to increase the amount of total customers. This will take a localized approach with more direct contact with SNAP recipients and addressing local barriers. In order to work locally, LiveWell needs strong local partners. Double Up Community Food Advocates and Regional Partners play an important role in developing those partnerships. Meanwhile, LiveWell will also build partnerships at the state level with partners that have their own local reach.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1. Increase fruit and vegetable consumption and long-term healthy eating amongst SNAP recipients. 81% of Double Up participants report an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption. (Goal: 90%.) 80% of customers agreed that they eat more fruits and vegetables in 2018. The long-term Double Up Cohort interviews did not show that customers increased their consumption fruits and vegetables. However, these interviews are not conclusive evidence that the program is not changing behaviors. Only 15 current and former Double Up participants took part in the interviews. Eleven of the respondents said that their shopping patterns had changed since the first time they used Double Up. It will be important to continue monitoring evaluation results long-term. It is important to note that two respondents said that they were no longer on SNAP because they were earning more, but they could not afford to buy as many fruits and vegetables as when they did when they were on SNAP and using Double Up. (Goal: 60% of interviewed Double Up participants report consuming more fruits and vegetables 6, 12, and 18 months after participating in the program.) In 2018, 585 adults participated in 44 farmers market tours. Based on customer surveys, about 50% of customers said they received information about cooking or purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables at the market they were surveyed at. LiveWell also partnered with Cooking Matters Colorado to mail recipe cards to use local produce purchased at Double Up markets. The recipe cards promoted the work of LiveWell and Cooking Matters. (Goal: Integrate nutrition education messaging into Double Up outreach in all counties.) Goal 2. Strengthen local agricultural economies through Double Up. Double Up distributed $130,544 between May 1, 2018 - April 30, 2019. These incentives were covered by other sources of funding. LiveWell is pulling specific numbers for winter markets, but will not have this information until mid-July and will report at that time. (Goal: $15,000 of incentives are spent by Double Up participants at Double Up partner site during the Double Up winter season.) LiveWell is pulling specific numbers for winter markets, but will not have this information until mid-July and will report at that time. (Goal: $25,000 of SNAP dollars are spent by Double Up participants at Double Up partner sites during the Double Up winter season.) In 2018, $165,357 in Double Up incentives, an increase of 13% from 2017, and $190,044 in SNAP incentives, an increase of 5% from 2017, were spent at Double Up venues. This is a total of $363,401 incentives boosting the business of Colorado produce vendors and bringing SNAP and Double Up retailers. While the distribution of Double Up and SNAP dollars increased in 2018, participation by total number of customers decreased by 24%. The patterns of customer visits is an important learning point of the evaluation program because it indicates if SNAP participants are using the program once or repeatedly. In 2018, 57% of customers used Double Up only one time and 43% of customers were repeat customers. In addition to repeat customers going to the market more they were also requesting more Double Up vouchers at the point of distribution. This means the impact on SNAP recipients may not have grown in a broader sense by reaching more SNAP recipients, but the program is having a deeper impact on individuals than it has in previous years. (Goal: Increase Double Up SNAP participants by 25% over 2017.) Goal 3. Diversify and extend the season for Double Up sites. In 2018, the Double Up program operated in 96 retail locations, an increase of 7% in number of sites, with 72 farmers markets and farm stands (goal: 57 farmers markets and farm stands), 9 6 CSA programs (goal: 7 CSA/food box programs), 4 Lowe's Mercado supermarket locations (goal: 2 supermarkets), nine neighborhood retailers/small corner store retailers (14 small corner store retailers), and five direct farms (no goal in 2018). In 2018, Double Up was offered in four supermarket locations, up from two in 2017. (Goal: Expand Double Up to 3 additional supermarkets.) Double Up was offered at 17 year-round sites in 2018, up from 16 sites in 2017. While we did not meet the goal of the grant, LiveWell is working to increase year-round sites in 2019, specifically with another grocery store chain. (Goal: Offer Double Up year-round at 3 additional sites, for a total of 26 year-round sites.) Goal 4. Integrate the promotion and implementation of Double Up into digital platforms. Double Up used the program Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/doubleupco/) to promote the program as well as LiveWell's Facebook and Twitter accounts to share Double Up information with a larger audience. Double Up paid for 24 boosted posts on Facebook to promote the program. These boosts created 18,210 media impressions. Double Up also distributes a quarterly email newsletter to over 3,500 individuals. The goal of all marketing materials was to drive traffic to the Double Up website (www.doubleupco.com). In 2018, the Double Up website made approximately 49,000 impressions on 22,000 unique visitors. Over half, 11,425 of those impressions were a result of click throughs from other sites, making up 23% of total website traffic. (Goal: Reach 15,000 SNAP participants using a diversified social media strategy.) LiveWell integrated Double Up into two digital text platforms (discussed above). Additionally, driving traffic to the Double Up website is a goal of all marketing materials and also shared via text messages. In 2018, the Double Up website made approximately 49,000 impressions on 22,000 unique visitors. Participants noted that the most important information from text and email updates was location information about where they can use the program in their area. (Goal: Integrate Double Up into one digital platform used by SNAP recipients.) In 2018, approximately 14,000 impressions were made via Meta Locator texts to individuals who signed up for the service, while approximately 48,000 impressions were made via EZ Texts, with 2,583 individuals opted into the service. (Goal: Deploy 40,000 text messages to low-income populations where Double Up is offered.) Goal 5. Build regional capacity to sustain Double Up. Double Up was offered in 26 counties in rural, suburban, and urban areas. The reason this number decreased is because some counties only had one market participating and that market closed. (Goal: 28 counties.) Local flyers and posters and partnerships with county department of human services offices were prioritized strategies in 2018. Thirty-four percent (34%) of Double Up participants said they saw a flyer or poster, 32% said they heard about the program at the farmers market, and 24% learned about it from their county department of human services or SNAP office. This means that flyers and posters invested in, sent to partners, and handed out by Community Food Advocates were displayed and seen by SNAP participants. LiveWell is in the process of developing a media and social media toolkit for local partners and Community Food Advocates to use to promote the program, which will be available in 2019. (Goal: Develop locally tailored promotional materials as well as a media toolkit and support to advertise Double Up locally.) In 2018, 585 adults participated in 44 farmers market tours, with a nutrition education component. (Goal: Cooking Matters provides nutrition education and supporting programming/materials at Double Up sites to 240 participants.)
Publications
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