Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The needs of the Greater Boston Area community are deeply rooted in food access problems and inequity. According to The Greater Boston Food Bank 2023 report, one in three people in Massachusetts are facing food insecurity, and in the City of Boston, this rises to 43% of people facing food insecurity. Furthermore, this food insecurity is disproportionately higher in certain neighborhoods including Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan, where communities have been historically marginalized. Our stores are located in these areas of the region with the highest food insecurity and the greatest need. Daily Table's project to expand Double Up Food Bucks centered around improving access to healthy produce to address pervasive food access problems in two communities in the Greater Boston Area, in Roxbury and Dorchester MA, as the resident populations in both of these neighborhoods have traditionally faced high levels of food insecurity. Since implementing this 2020 GusNIP Double Up Food Bucks opportunity, Daily Table has expanded our offerings beyond these regions to three new store locations as the incentive program and our nonprofit retail model continues to grow. New stores in the Greater Boston Area are located in Mattapan, Central Square (Cambridge), and Salem, MA. Roxbury Community: Roxbury is a neighborhood within the city of Boston, described on the city website as "the heart of Black culture in Boston" with over 90% of the population being non-white. 36% of this high-density community lives below the poverty line compared with 21% of Boston as a whole. The median household income is $25,937 (2015) compared with $78,800 for Boston overall. In the area immediately surrounding our store, SNAP participation rate is 33%. Community Partners: Apprentice Learning, Children's Services of Roxbury, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, Horizons for Homeless Children, Madison Park High School, Rosie's Place, Roxbury Prep Lucy Stone, Roxbury Tenants of Harvard, South End Community Health Center, YMCA Roxbury, YouthBuild Boston. Dorchester Community: Dorchester is the largest and most diverse neighborhood in Boston. About 80% of the community is non-white and the median household income is $47,200. The SNAP participation rate in the area surrounding our store is 33% and the poverty rate is 30%. Community Partners: ABCD Boston, Black Market, Bowdoin Street Community Health Center, Carver Lodge Pantry, Codman Square Health Center, Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation, Haley House & Haley House Soup Kitchen, Harvard Street Community Health Center, Healthworks Community Fitness, NECAT, YMCA Dorchester. Cambridge - Central Square Community: Central Square is the most diverse neighborhood in the city of Cambridge with a significant population living in subsidized housing provided by the Cambridge Housing Authority. The SNAP participation rate is 10%. Community Partners: Cambridge Community Center, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge Mutual Aid Network, Cambridge Rindge and Latin School Pantry, Cambridge Youth Council, Central Square Business Improvement District, Homeowner's Rehab, Just a Start CDC, MIT Office of Sustainability, MIT Student Financial Services, My Brother's Keeper Cambridge, On the Rise, YMCA Cambridge. Mattapan Community: Mattapan is a diverse neighborhood in Boston. A majority of the population was not born in the US. The median household income is $44,744 and the SNAP participation rate is 27%. 31% of the population lives below the poverty line. Community Partners: Beyond Akeela, Greater Mattapan Neighborhood Council, Health Leads, Hyde Park Pantry, Immigrant Family Services Institute, Mattapan Community Health Center, Mattapan Food & Fitness, Mattapan Square Main Streets, Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH). Salem Community: Salem is an ethnically and racially diverse coastal community on the North Shore, particularly in The Point neighborhood where our store is located. With a population of 42,804 and a poverty level of 14.5%, Salem represents a community of significant need. 20% of households in The Point receive SNAP benefits. Community Partners: Beverly Rotary, North Shore Community Development Coalition, Salem Board of Health, Root North Shore, North Shore Chamber of Commerce, Salem Food Pantry, Salem Main Street, Salem Public Schools, The Point Neighborhood Association, The Salem Pantry, The Samaritans, Salem. Changes/Problems:DUFB redemptions at Daily Table have increased by over 297% since 2019, demonstrating that fresh produce needs for the beneficiaries we serve remains high with further areas for continued growth. We believe this successfully demonstrates Daily Table's efficacy and desirability as a source of healthy, affordable food for SNAP customers who shop with us. When we removed the $5 incentive limit on DUFB in the first quarter of 2024, we saw incentive benefits rise by 50%, which motivated us to evaluate the impact and sustainability of removing this incentive cap permanently. In this most recent grant year, from September 2023 to August 2024, Daily Table has redeemed $659,493 in DUFB! This is a 119% increase over the previous grant year alone (09/2022 - 08/2023). This uptick in total redemptions demonstrates continued program success at Daily Table, and shows that more and more SNAP recipients are taking advantage of Daily Table's food offerings to make their benefits go further, especially as food prices continue to rise. In addition to the number of SNAP shoppers increasing, we have tracked an incredible increase in how much produce SNAP customers are buying. Shoppers are buying 84% more produce! This demonstrates the idea that if fresh produce is affordable, customers will buy much more of it. The data Daily Table has tracked from customer transactions of fresh produce over the past 6 months validate our core mission that access to fresh produce is an economic / affordability issue more so than it is an accessibility issue. While traditional grocery retailers passed cost increases directly onto customers, that was not aligned with Daily Table's mission. Daily Table's prices increased only 13.7% between 2021 to 2023, compared to the average annual food-at-home price increase of 20.3% (USDA ERS). Daily Table is proud to partner with USDA to continue implementation and growth of the Double Up Food Bucks program. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Daily Table is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive Daily Table team of employees, and one that is fully representative of the communities we serve. We promote open roles through community partners and seek talented individuals who live, or have previously lived in, the neighborhoods in which our stores operate. We hire and train staff who are passionate about our mission and committed to serving our customers. Our board and staff teams are diverse, bringing with them a wealth of lived experience. We are proud to be a female-led organization. Our CEO, 46% of the board, and 55% of the leadership team identify as female, which favorably compares to the communities we serve (our typical shopper is female). 63% of staff live within a two-mile radius of store locations. At our new Salem store, 100% of staff live within a 3-block radius. >51% of our workforce identify as BIPOC (we don't collect specific race and ethnicity info for employees). 14% of our workforce is 55+ years of age. We continue to make investments to advance organizational priorities around professional development and training to best position Daily Table to deliver upon its mission and sustain growth while providing our employees with the best possible working environment. We continue to create direct pathways to leadership roles in our stores, with many success stories of team members moving into managerial or office positions. Additionally, our starting wages are aligned with the wage ordinances in place in the areas we serve ($17.55/hr in Boston, $18.41/hr in Cambridge). By providing a living wage, we not only make Daily Table a great workplace but also support the communities we serve in which our employees and their families live. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In early 2024, Daily Table released its 2023 Annual Impact Report, to share stories and data demonstrating our breadth of impact in 2023, which was distributed to all supporters by email and shared on our website and social media platforms. A digital version of our most recent Impact Report is available year-round on our website. After our annual SNAP survey of customers, we presented the findings to all 259 survey participants to share to those who use DUFB the impact it is having in the community, and the findings from the survey report. This was done over a zoom meeting with the intention of reaching the most customers, and led by the Community Engagement Director and supported by Daily Table leadership. We continue to work with the Nutrition Incentive Program Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation, and Information Center (NTAE) to survey shoppers who utilize SNAP to assess food security and the impact of DUFB incentives on our shoppers. Our Director of Community Engagement recently completed this year's survey. In past years, we have summarized and presented the data to participants and stakeholders upon request. We also provide the raw data and a copy of our presentation to NTAE.? What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
ACTUAL GOAL 1 OUTCOME: Daily Table successfully increased the amount of produce purchased by increasing DUFB redemptions In the year prior to Daily Table's GusNIP 2020 DUFB grant, Daily Table redeemed $165,969 in DUFB through the Roxbury and Dorchester stores. By the end of our first GusNIP grant year, 09/01/2020 to 08/31/2021, we had redeemed $185,058 in DUFB, an 11% increase. In our current grant year, with the DUFB $5 limit removed, we have so far redeemed $352,419 in DUFB at Roxbury and Dorchester alone. This is an 112% increase over 2019/2020, far surpassing the benchmark of +20% growth annually (achieved over four years). We have also introduced the DUFB program to THREE new communities (Cambridge - Central Square, Mattapan, and Salem MA). With all stores included, Daily Table has redeemed $659,493 in DUFB in this grant year alone, a 297% increase in DUFB redemptions across all communities served when compared to 2019/20 redemptions. In 2019/20, EBT purchases comprised 22% of total transactions at our Dorchester and Roxbury stores. We estimate that, during this period, an average of 140 SNAP transactions were completed every day. In our current grant year, across all locations, EBT purchases comprise 25.87% of total transactions. On average, 413 SNAP transactions are completed daily, which is a 195% increase from benchmark. (The increase of SNAP shoppers is also evident in a direct correlation between the introduction of DUFB and increased EBT use. Before DUFB, EBT use comprised 15-20% of total transactions. After DUFB, EBT use increased to 25-30% of total transactions.) In the current grant year, 84.06% of SNAP beneficiaries are utilizing DUFB when shopping at Daily Table. On average, over the grant period, produce sales have comprised 30-32% of total overall sales. In more recent months, since removing the DUFB $5 limit, produce sales now comprise between 35-42% of total overall sales. With DUFB redemptions outpacing our grant funding cycles, we know we are substantially increasing the amount of produce purchased by our shoppers. ACTUAL GOAL 2 OUTCOME: Daily Table successfully increased local and regionally produced fruits and vegetables consumed by SNAP recipients During the grant period, Daily Table increased access to affordable local and regionally produced fruits and vegetables across five communities in the Greater Boston Area (Dorchester, Roxbury, Cambridge - Central Square, Mattapan, and Salem). With a 297% increase in DUFB redemptions across all communities, we know we are reaching more SNAP beneficiaries with fresh produce than ever before. Daily Table's goal during this 4-year grant period was to establish 15 new partnerships with local and regional partners and suppliers to increase produce distribution. In the first grant year alone, we established 11 new partnerships, which was a significant boost for our produce distribution. Currently, we have a strong network of 70+ suppliers and 20+ local farms and producers to supply our nonprofit grocery stores with fresh, MA-grown produce year-round. Local partners, including Boston Area Gleaners, donate thousands of pounds of fresh produce to our organization each year. To date, we have recovered over 9.5 million pounds of food that otherwise would have gone to waste. We also continue to collaborate with local partners to bring culturally responsive produce to our stores. We have made additions to our produce assortment, across all stores, to provide a wider variety of culturally responsive fruits and vegetables to better serve our beneficiaries. When determining food selections, we listen to shopper feedback, review competitor offerings, and past sales data to inform decisions. New regularly-stocked items include: green bananas, aloe leaves, ripe plantains, coconuts, tomatillos, dried chiles, and hibiscus flowers. ACTUAL GOAL 3 OUTCOME: Through Outreach & Store Marketing, Daily Table continues to demonstrate the benefits of our nonprofit retail grocery model for delivering SNAP incentives to increase the consumption of healthy produce. Daily Table continues to implement and refine its outreach and in-store marketing strategies to prove our concept. Most recently, we have added additional signage throughout our stores explaining DUFB in multiple languages, including Haitian Creole and Spanish. We promote DUFB in email newsletters (each newsletter has a 12K+ person footprint). When Daily Table removed the $5 limit on DUFB in January 2024, we issued a press release and multiple social media posts to ensure community awareness, including DUFB direct mail campaign in our Mattapan community, reaching 5K+ people In our 2023 Annual Impact Report, we featured DUFB and the grocery savings achieved to highlight our nonprofit retail grocery model for delivery SNAP incentives. ACTUAL GOAL 4 OUTCOME: Model for providing DUFB incentives for frozen produce was not tested. Since DUFB redemptions continued to increase so considerably (+297%) during this 4-year grant period under our current model to support "fresh produce only," Daily Table did not prioritize the reallocation of redemption funds to test expanded offerings to include frozen fruits and vegetables. With redemptions outpacing the grant periods in which funds were received, we kept our focus on prioritizing access to a consistent supply of high-quality, nutrient-dense fresh fruits and vegetables for our beneficiaries.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:During the pandemic and amidst increasing fuel prices and high and sustained food prices, our customers have been relying heavily on SNAP and DUFB benefits while shopping with us. During our grant term, $301,037 in DUFB incentives were redeemed. We saw a significant increase in redemptions in March, April, May, June, and July (2023), corresponding with an overall increase in customer traffic. March marked the first time we saw redemptions hit $26,000, while May redemptions nearly exceeded $29,000. This uptick is a reflection of more SNAP recipients taking advantage of Daily Table's offerings to make their benefits go further, especially since food prices have continued to rise and emergency SNAP allotments have expired. This trend highlights that Daily Table is a lifeline for those struggling to maintain a healthy diet. Seeing more and more SNAP shoppers discover the immense benefits of the Double Up Food Bucks program when they shop at our stores is as uplifting as it is sobering. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Daily Table continues to be committed to building a diverse and inclusive team representative of the communities we serve by hiring from within the communities surrounding our stores. We have made investments to advance organizational priorities, positioning ourselves to deliver our mission and sustain growth while providing our employees with the best possible working environment. For example, to support the growth and development of our team, we have recently introduced a new assistant store manager position at each store, creating a direct pathway to leadership roles. We're excited to share our first success story of a team member who worked her way up from team member to store manager and is now managing our new store in Mattapan. We are thrilled to share the success story of one of our team members who started as a team member and worked her way up to become a store manager. She is now managing our new store in Mattapan. During this reporting period, we raised our starting wage to align with the living wage ordinance in Boston ($16.38 beginning July 1, 2022, and $17.55 starting July 1, 2023) and Cambridge ($17.31 beginning March 1, 2022, and $18.41 starting March 1, 2023). By providing a livable wage, we not only make Daily Table a great workplace but also support the communities where our employees and their families live. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We released our 2022 impact report in May 2023. We sent it to all our supporters via email and shared it on our social media platforms. You can find a digital version of the report on our website.We started work with the Nutrition Incentive Program Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation, and Information Center (NTAE) to carry out a survey on SNAP/DUFB shoppers; however, due to a prolonged Institutional Review Board issue, the survey was delayed and then postponed indefinitely. We're working hard to resolve these issues so we can get the information we need in time for the next survey cycle. In the past, we have summarized and presented the data to participants and anyone else who is interested. We intend to do that again once we have survey data to report. We'll also provide the raw data and a copy of the presentation to NTAE. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to take the following steps during the next reporting period to accomplish our goals: Continue reporting on and evaluating the DUFB program monthly. Based on data analysis, we will improve the incentive program throughout the grant period. Continue increasing incentive usage through more marketing and community outreach. Open a fifth store in the Point neighborhood in Salem, a community with significant unmet demand for healthy, affordable food. We are focusing our efforts on marketing and community engagement to make residents aware of our services, particularly the DUFB incentive program. Strategize with the City of Boston's Office of Food Justice around the Boston DUFB evaluation, specifically the GusNIP evaluation requirements, and identify opportunities for collaboration.?
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: Increase amount of produce purchased by increasing DUFB redemptions. During the reporting period, we saw a 22% increase in incentives redeemed at our stores in Dorchester, Roxbury, Central Square (Cambridge), and Mattapan compared to the last reporting period and a 50% increase over the 2020-2021 reporting period. Even when we exclude the new store in Mattapan, which opened in March 2023, our three existing stores still saw a 16% increase in redemptions. During the reporting period, Dorchester saw a 25% increase in incentive redemptions, while Roxbury experienced a decrease of 5.5%. On the other hand, Central Square witnessed a significant increase of 42%. The Mattapan store was open for five months during this period, and they had redemptions worth over $14,176. We launched SNAP Online nearly two years ago. Even though SNAP shoppers can use their benefits to buy groceries on our website, right now our website doesn't have a way for people to use their DUFB incentives. We're continuing to work on adding this feature, which will make it even easier for some SNAP shoppers to get healthy food and use their food assistance benefits. During this grant period, in March 2023, Daily Table opened a new store in Mattapan, a neighborhood in Boston. This means SNAP shoppers have another option for buying fresh fruits and vegetables and accessing DUFB incentives. Also, during this grant period, we built a fifth store in Salem, a city north of Boston. In our next annual progress report, we look forward to saying more about how that store is providing increased access to produce for SNAP shoppers in a new market. Goal 2: Increase local and regionally produced fruits and vegetables consumed by SNAP recipients. Our goal over the four-year grant was to establish 15 new partnerships between local and regional partners, suppliers, and Daily Table to increase produce distribution. During our first reporting period, we established 11 new partnerships - a significant lift for our goal. During the second reporting period, we worked with Boston Food Hub - a food distributor that connects local Massachusetts farms with wholesale markets like Daily Table. While not a new relationship, we significantly increased our business with them in the past year, providing our customers with access to fresh, local apples, pumpkins, and occasionally squashes. During this third reporting period, we collaborated with Turtellot Produce in Warwick, RI, to bring local produce to our stores. Ahead of our Mattapan opening, we made additions to our produce assortment across all stores, focusing on offering a wider variety of culturally relevant produce to better serve the diverse communities we are in. To decide what to add, we listened to customer feedback, looked at competitors' offerings, and reviewed our sales data from the past year. Some of the new items we added include green bananas, aloe leaves, ripe plantains, coconuts, tomatillos, dried chiles, and hibiscus flowers. Goal 3: Demonstrate the benefits of a nonprofit retail grocery model for delivering SNAP incentives to increase the consumption of healthy produce. We continue to focus on our in-store promotion, including put up signs inside our stores to explain how SNAP customers can take advantage of the DUFB program. Additional signage outside our stores in our windows and facade inform potential customers of produce discounts when they use their SNAP benefits. In September 2022, we organized a photo shoot at our Dorchester store. This helped us capture a bunch of fresh pictures that we can now use for various marketing activities, such as social media posts and advertisements. We used some of those photos that highlighted our produce in a series of bus shelter ads that we ran in Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan in November and December 2022. Three out of the four ads showed off the variety of produce we offer, and one of them was specifically aimed at our SNAP customers and highlighted the Double Up Food Bucks program. During Q2 2023, we executed a 12-week campaign that involved billboards and digital media. The results were impressive, as we garnered 1,000,000 impressions and 1890 clicks. This translates to a click-through rate of 0.19%. Additionally, we received anecdotal feedback from several customers who visited the new Mattapan store, citing the billboards as the reason for their visit. Overall, the campaign was a success and helped us reach a wider audience. We've seen our partnerships with community-based organizations grow since the opening of Daily Table Mattapan. In the lead-up to the opening of Daily Table Salem, we've expanded our partnership base on the North Shore, a new region for our organization. During this grant reporting period, we cultivated at least eight new relationships in the Salem community. Our outreach to and conversations with these organizations include a summary of our nutrition incentive initiatives and our focus on fresh fruits and vegetables. We've hosted some food demonstrations that feature fresh produce at partner organizations, and a host of public speaking engagements have allowed our Director of Community Engagement to promote our DUFB program. Our partnerships with community-based organizations have grown since we opened Daily Table Mattapan. With the opening of Daily Table Salem, we've expanded our partnership base even further on the North Shore. During this grant reporting period, we've cultivated at least eight new relationships in the Salem community. Our outreach and conversations with these organizations include information about our SNAP-eligible products, our focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, and our Double Up Food Bucks program. We also hosted some food demonstrations that featured fresh produce at partner organizations. Finally, our Director of Community Engagement has been able to spread the word about our DUFB program through various public speaking events. Goal 4: Test a model for providing DUFB incentives for frozen produce to demonstrate increased program participation in retail stores. Since DUFB redemptions have continued to increase under our current "fresh produce only" program, we could not allocate funds to test expanded offerings that included frozen fruits and vegetables. Instead, our priority continues to be ensuring a consistent supply of high-quality fresh fruits and vegetables for our customers.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:As mentioned, we will be opening stores 4 and 5 in early 2023. Due to unforeseen supply chain and permitting issues, we had to push our opening dates from fall 2022 to early 2023. While a setback, we're committed to opening these new stores as soon as possible to bring healthy, affordable food to more communities. We continue to see families and households struggling to put food on their tables. Increasing inflation, rising food costs, and declining wages are affecting households across the Commonwealth. One-third of Massachusetts residents experienced food insecurity in 2021 (Greater Boston Food Bank), particularly among families with children and communities of color, who already faced hunger at much higher rates before the pandemic. In the Commonwealth, where the cost of groceries and the cost of living are among the highest in the country, families sometimes must grapple with difficult choices: "Do I keep a roof overhead, pay utility bills, or buy food to feed my children and myself?" With increased economic hardship, SNAP usage at our stores has increased significantly: SNAP redemptions are up 35% compared to last year and up 92% compared to pre-COVID. As a result, our DUFB redemptions increased from $200,000 to $246,853* since the previous reporting period, demonstrating that need in the communities we serve is greater than ever, and customers are relying on Daily Table for healthy, affordable food, particularly fresh produce.Based on this great need, we did not have the funds to pilot a program to expand frozen fruit and vegetable offerings. Instead, we focused on distributing the incentives for our existing DUFB program, building two new stores where incentives will be distributed in the next reporting period, and creating the infrastructure to offer DUFB incentives through our online ordering program. *$200,000 = 9/1/2020 - 8/31/2021, $246,853 = 9/1/2021 - 8/31/2022 What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Daily Table continues to be committed to building a diverse and inclusive team representative of the communities we serve by hiring from within the communities surrounding our stores. We have made investments to advance organizational priorities, positioning ourselves to deliver our mission and sustain growth while providing our employees with the best possible working environment. During this reporting period, we raised our wages to living wages as defined by the City of Boston ($16.38+/hour) and City of Cambridge ($17.31+/hour). We also recently implemented new benefits, including full coverage under Paid Medical Family Leave (only 80% of which had been covered previously) and paying hourly workers to get paid when the store is closed. Providing much-needed (and deserved) benefits, as well as a livable wage, not only makes Daily Table a great place to work, it helps support the neighborhoods where team members and their families live. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We've worked with the Nutrition Incentive Program Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation, and Information Center (NTAE) to survey Daily Table shoppers who utilize SNAP and assess food security and the impact of DUFB incentives on our shoppers. Surveys were administered in October 2021, and results were received in spring 2022. Upon receiving the results, we summarized the data and shared it in presentation form over Zoom with participants. NTAE received both raw survey data and a copy of the presentation. As other opportunities to share the data arise, we will assess and distribute the results of our survey accordingly. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to take the following steps during the next reporting period to accomplish our goals: Continue reporting on and evaluating the program monthly. Based on data analysis, we will improve the incentive program throughout the grant period. Continue increasing incentive usage through more marketing and community outreach. In early 2023, we will open two new stores in the Mattapan neighborhood in Boston and the Point neighborhood in Salem, communities with significant unmet demand for healthy, affordable food. Leading up to store openings, we are focusing our efforts on marketing and community engagement to make residents aware of our services, particularly the DUFB incentive program.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: Increase amount of produce purchased by increasing DUFB redemptions. Overall, our stores increased DUFB incentive redemptions over the reporting period. Dorchester decreased incentive redemptions by 24%, Roxbury increased by 26%, and Central Square increased by 315%. Though the Central Square store was only open for eight months during the first reporting period, its drastic growth in incentive redemption is worth noting. Throughout the reporting period, $246,853 DUFB incentives were used at our stores in Dorchester, Roxbury, and Cambridge. This includes matching funds from the City of Boston and the City of Cambridge. Total number of incentives distributed through the GusNIP program is $136,118. Daily Table launched its SNAP Online program in 2022, allowing SNAP participants to gain an effective way to maximize their monthly SNAP allotment, accessing Daily Table's low prices on groceries and utilizing the convenience of e-commerce and delivery. Importantly, it provides a path for the most vulnerable, minimizes barriers to accessing nutritious food, and reduces hunger, worries, and health-related issues for those who need our food the most - those concerned about potential COVID-19 exposure and those with health and mobility challenges. In January 2022, Daily Table launched its SNAP Online program, enabling SNAP recipients to use their SNAP benefits through our online grocery platform. While our e-commerce platform has the capacity to accept SNAP benefits, it does not currently have the functionality for SNAP customers to utilize their DUFB incentives. During the reporting period, we applied for a grant through the Fair Food Network to build out this functionality so that Daily Table can provide this unique and innovative capacity to distribute DUFB incentives online. During this grant period, Daily Table signed leases for store 4 (Mattapan) and store 5 (Salem). We made significant strides in securing funding for and planning the buildout of these stores, and will be opening the stores in the next grant period. Once opened, both stores will be additional sites where SNAP recipients can access DUFB incentives for fresh fruits and vegetables. Goal 2: Increase local and regionally produced fruits and vegetables consumed by SNAP recipients. Our goal over the four-year grant was to establish 15 new partnerships between local and regional partners, suppliers, and Daily Table to increase produce distribution. During our first reporting period, we established 11 new partnerships - a significant lift for our goal. During this reporting period, we worked with Boston Food Hub - a food distributor that connects local Massachusetts farms with wholesale markets like Daily Table. While not a new relationship, we significantly increased our business with them in the past year, providing our customers with access to fresh, local apples, pumpkins, and occasionally squashes. Goal 3: Demonstrate the benefits of a nonprofit retail grocery model for delivering SNAP incentives to increase the consumption of healthy produce. In August 2021, Daily Table launched its first formalized marketing plan to drive customer traffic to stores and online - with a particular focus on promoting DUFB incentives to SNAP participants. New marketing efforts include: running MBTA campaigns, utilizing geo-targeted ads on social media and Good Ads, and translating marketing materials into common languages our customers speak (e.g., Haitian Creole, Spanish). We've primarily focused on our in-store promotion, including informational signage throughout our stores, clearly demonstrating how SNAP recipients can take advantage of DUFB. Additional signage outside our stores in our windows and facade informs potential customers they can use their SNAP benefits to receive 50% off of produce when shopping at Daily Table. Goal 4: Test a model for providing DUFB incentives for frozen produce to demonstrate increased program participation in retail stores. Given significant increases in redemptions for the existing DUFB program, we did not have the funds to test expanded offerings that included frozen fruit and vegetables. See the "challenges" section for more information. Instead, we focused on providing a reliable supply of quality fresh fruits and vegetables for our customers.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:Daily Table operated three stores throughout this reporting period: Dorchester and Roxbury through 2020, and our third location in Central Square, Cambridge, opened in January 2021. Pandemic-related issues have delayed the opening of our fourth location in Mattapan to the fall of 2022. Stores are located in low-income and low-supermarket-access census tracts as determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture - and we know the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are only exacerbating disparities between neighborhoods. The profile of each neighborhood Daily Table serves has diverse races, ethnicities, and ages represented. We know from customer surveys that our typical shopper is female, young to middle age, working full-time, and living in a low-income household. In the City of Boston, the neighborhoods of Roxbury and Dorchester are among the communities with the highest unemployment rates, 14.3% and 12.6%, respectively (Boston Planning & Development Agency). These neighborhoods also represent areas with high poverty and SNAP enrollment rates. This creates a scenario where those most in need have the least access to healthy produce at high-quality, affordable grocery stores. The location of our newest grocery store in the Central Square Improvement District in Cambridge is specifically located to prioritize a vulnerable subpopulation who face housing instability, food insecurity, and higher rates of homelessness according to a 2017 needs assessment administered by the City of Cambridge. Changes/Problems:The impacts of COVID were borne disproportionately by low-income and under-resourced communities of color like those that Daily Table serves. In addition to high rates of COVID-19 infection, the economic impacts have been catastrophic. Unemployment skyrocketed, and the need to provide access to healthy and affordable food was higher during the grant period. With increased economic hardship, SNAP enrollment increased significantly, and the demand for the DUFB program was higher than ever. DUFB incentives increased from $166,000 to $200,000*, and increased even more drastically into the following reporting period. SNAP and DUFB redemptions at Daily Table continue to grow, demonstrating that need in the communities we serve is still immense and that more and more customers are relying on Daily Table as a source to find healthy, affordable food, particularly fresh produce. Given the major increases in incentive redemptions for our existing DUFB program, we did not have the funds to pilot a program to expand frozen fruit and vegetable offerings. Expansion is a key part of our business model and is critical for delivering our mission. It allows us to spread costs over more operating units, create economies of scale, and pass on savings to our customers. During the past year, given the uncertainty created by the pandemic, we slowed our long-term plans, shifting focus to short-term needs. While originally planning to open our fourth store in 2020, due to pandemic-related hurdles, the Mattapan store opening has been delayed until fall 2022. Mattapan is a community with significant unmet demand for healthy, affordable food. Our expansion to this neighborhood is critical to expanding our impact and allows us to fight nutrition and food insecurity in a strategic and dignified manner. The pandemic and its impacts have not lessened our commitment to our mission or weakened our drive to fulfill our long-term goal to improve and grow. The communities and people we serve need and will benefit from our programs and services, particularly DUFB, now more than ever. *$166,000 = 9/1/2019 - 8/31/2020, $200,000 = 9/1/2020 - 8/31/2021 What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Daily Table is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team representative of the communities we serve by hiring from within the communities surrounding our stores. We have made investments to advance organizational priorities, positioning us to deliver our mission and sustain growth while providing our employees with the best possible working environment. Recognizing our front-line employees' hard work and dedication, particularly during the pandemic, we permanently raised our starting wage from $15.00 to $15.69/hour, the official living wage of the City of Boston. Upon further evaluation and effective July 2021, we raised our starting wage again to $16.00/hour. To further support our employees, we implemented an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that offers all employees a range of support services free of charge. We work intentionally to develop employees and provide opportunities for professional growth. All team members receive ongoing training covering food systems, customer service, and of course, training on produce and how we sell it. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We've worked with the Nutrition Incentive Program Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation, and Information Center (NTAE) to survey Daily Table shoppers who utilize SNAP and assess food security and the impact of DUFB incentives on our shoppers. Surveys were administered in October 2021 (after this reporting period), and we don't expect to receive the results until spring 2022. Upon receiving the results, we will summarize the data and share it in presentation form to the participants. NTAE will receive both raw survey data and a copy of the presentation. As other opportunities to share the data arise, we will assess and distribute accordingly. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to take the following steps during the next reporting period to accomplish our goals: Continue reporting on and evaluating the program monthly. Based on data analysis, we will improve the incentive program throughout the grant period. Increase incentive usage through more marketing and community outreach. Sign lease for Store 4 in Mattapan, Boston, a community characterized by significant food insecurity. We plan to begin construction in mid-2022 and anticipate a store opening in late fall 2022.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: Increase amount of produce purchased by increasing DUFB redemptions. Dorchester and Roxbury stores increased DUFB incentive redemptions by 12%,* and overall incentives, including at our third location in Cambridge, grew even more drastically into the following reporting period. Daily Table opened one new store in Central Square, Cambridge, in January 2021. Cambridge disbursed $15,279 worth of incentives between January and August of 2021 - the first DUFB redemptions across the Central Square community. Daily Table upgraded the point-of-sale (POS) system to have identical equipment in the Dorchester and Roxbury stores and expanded the system to include the Cambridge store when it opened in January 2021. Daily Table will also use this POS system for all subsequent store openings, including the fourth store in Mattapan when it opens in 2022. This centralized system will allow for more efficient in-store processes and much easier data analysis to track outcomes. Daily Table partnered with a team of researchers at the Tufts Friedman School of Public Health to evaluate the effectiveness of Daily Table's DUFB incentives program using both quantitative and qualitative research. Daily Table had years' worth of data on individual customers, given that we are a membership store (membership is free and open to everyone). The Tufts team reviewed every SNAP transaction before and after the start of the DUFB program (over a 30-month period) to observe changes in purchasing history. The final research completed in July 2021 shows that SNAP customers at Daily Table increased their fresh fruit and vegetable expenditure by 27%, demonstrating the effectiveness and feasibility of the DUFB incentives program in a grocery store setting. Goal 2: Increase local and regionally produced fruits and vegetables consumed by SNAP recipients Our goal over the four year grant was to establish 15 new partnerships between local and regional producers, suppliers, and Daily Table to increase produce available to SNAP recipients through our DUFB program. During just this reporting period, we established 11 new partnerships - a significant lift for our goal. Goal 3: Demonstrate the benefits of a nonprofit retail grocery model for delivering SNAP incentives to increase the consumption of healthy produce. Daily Table is testing and expanding its outreach efforts and in-store marketing to provide a proof of concept for others. Below are strategies we've used during the reporting period to promote the DUFB program: In January 2021, we hired a Director of Community Engagement specifically to nurture relationships with our partners and further our outreach strategies to the communities in which our stores are located. Vitally important are our partnerships with 70+ mission-aligned organizations vested in food access and health and wellness in the communities we serve. Our partners have a considerable footprint in providing basic needs and resources to low-income individuals, children, and families. This network of relationships helps to increase store visibility and awareness so that residents benefit from store programs and services, including our DUFB incentives. Select partners include: Dorchester (Codman Square Health Center, Dorchester YMCA, Bold Teens), Roxbury (Nubian Square Main Streets, The Food Project, Haley House, Rosie's Place), Cambridge (Food for Free, YWCA Cambridge, Central Square Farmers Market). Our in-store promotion includes informational signage throughout our stores. Signage clearly demonstrates how SNAP recipients can take advantage of DUFB. Additional signage in the windows/facade informs potential customers about the program to expand our reach cost-effectively. Goal 4: Test a model for providing DUFB incentives for frozen produce to demonstrate increased program participation in retail stores. Given significant increases in redemptions for the existing DUFB program, we did not have the funds to test expanded offerings that included frozen fruit and vegetables. See the "challenges" section for more information. Instead, we focused on providing a reliable supply of quality fresh fruits and vegetables for our customers. *Comparing 9/1/2019 - 8/31/2020 and 9/1/2020 - 8/31/2021
Publications
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Note: The period of the study below didnt overlap with this USDA project. While the DUFB program is unchanged, the funds provided during this study period were from the City of Boston/other sources and nor our 2020 GusNIP award. The takeaways from this study, however, are still extremely relevant to the success of Daily Tables overall DUFB program.
SNAP Financial Incentives Increase Fruit and Vegetable Spending in a Low-Income Grocery Retail Environment
ABSTRACT
Integrating financial incentives for fruits and vegetables into the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can increase fruit and vegetable purchases in farmers markets and supermarkets, thereby increasing consumption and addressing nutrition-related health disparities. However, we lack evidence on SNAP incentives in neighborhood food retailers that serve as critical food access points in lower-income and high-minority communities. We evaluated a 50% discount on SNAP fresh fruit and vegetable purchases at a grocery store in a low-income neighborhood in Boston. By analyzing detailed scanner data transactions over 30 months, we found SNAP incentives increased SNAP fresh fruit and vegetable expenditure by 27%, total food spending by 15%, and customer shopping trips by 11%. Our findings support further expansion of SNAP fruit and vegetable financial incentives and demonstrate program effectiveness and feasibility in the grocery store setting.
Link to full dissertation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Od3ApcCeVw9NRwXJHrCA_nDFLHIAQtmK/view?usp=sharing
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