Progress 08/01/23 to 07/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience: Link Up Illinois works with firms throughout the state of Illinois to provide nutrition incentives to SNAP recipients. With COVID Relief and Response funding, Link Up Illinois targets SNAP recipients primarily residing and shopping in Black and Hispanic communities, the most negatively impacted by the COVID pandemic. Changes/Problems:During the reporting period, Experimental Station requested and received a no-cost extension on this award. We are currently working with both state and federal funding, as we aim to build a sustainable statewide program. This is not a problem, but is a change to the original award. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Link Up Illinois provides a variety of opportunities for training and development for partner firms as well as our own personnel. Store managers are trained in all aspects of implementing a Link Match program at their store (including requirements for integrating incentives into their POS system, how to collect and enter data, how to market the program), while store personnel are trained in how to implement the program at the point of sale (distribution of incentives, redemption of incentives) and how to report on data to Experimental Station/Link Up Illinois. In addition, new Link Up Illinois staff received training in all aspects of the program, while Experimental Station administrators continued to receive professional development in government grant management and OMB requirements. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In spring 2024, Experimental Station created the 2023 Increasing Food Access Report that provides both an introduction to the Link Up Illinois program as well as collected data reflecting program gains. The2023 Increasing Food Access Reportwas shared broadly with stakeholders of all types, including all Illinois state lawmakers, each of whom received a personalized letter with their hard copy. Sharing with Illinois lawmakers at the state level has helped to ensure continued support from the State of Illinois for nutrition incentives. The Report was also shared with federal lawmakers, Link Up Illinois partners, funding partners, and the general public. It is available on the Experimental Station website at www.experimentalstation.org/resources and is available in hard copy upon request. Experimental Station also produced a statewide guide to farmers markets, grocery stores, mobile markets, and delivery services that accept SNAP and offer Link Match. Produced in both English and Spanish, 60,000 copies of the statewide guide were distributed to partner firms, Illinois Department of Human Services offices, City of Chicago offices andother agencies, and was also available via digital distribution. Link Up Illinois staff shared program results and impacts throughout the year at stakeholder meetings and at local, statewide (e.g. 'Everything Local Conference'), and national conferences (e.g. NIFA convening, December 2023). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the coming year, Link Up Illinois will work to increase the effectiveness of our brick and mortar Link Match programs, by increasing redemptions at existing sites and assessing the various technologies employed by our partner firms to distribute and redeem incentives. We will continue to provide Link Match support to existing firms while also expanding to additionalbrick and mortar locations, adding 4-6 new locations in the coming year.We will both create additional marketing and outreach materials andspend more time in our brick and mortar stores to talk with SNAP customers and reinforce their understanding of the program, such that they do not throw away their receipt/vouchers. We will carry out an evaluativesurvey of SNAP customers shopping at brick and mortar retail to understand the impact of the program on customer behavior and on their perception of their health. Besides offering the survey in multiple formats (paper and digital), we will offer it in multiple languages (English, Spanish, perhaps adding MandarinChinese) to expand the survey to a broader swath of the population receiving SNAP in the locations we serve. In an effort to increase the production of fresh produce in our state to support our focuson expanding the production and consumption of locally grown foods (less than 1% of the produce consumed in Illinois is produced here), Experimental Station will alsowork with partners and stakeholders from across the state to lead a statewide food system planning process. The first step will be tocreatemultiple gatheringsduring which groups, producers, and others canshare among one another progress being made, projects underway, and needs fulfilled and unfulfilled.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During this reporting period, for the first time, the Link Up Illinois programhired a dedicated Program Manager solely to advance the brick and mortar side of Link Match incentives. The new Brick and Mortar Managerhadpreviously managedExperimental Station's City of Chicago Farmers Market EBT program and came with a strong background in community engagement on Chicago's South Side. She had also assisted with outreach to our first brick and mortar stores in 2020. With the loss of MIRA (Midwest Independent Retailers Association) as a partner in expanding our brick and mortar locations (having ceased to retain their staff for this role), witha dedicated program manager, we were able to double our brick and mortar locations from 11 to 22, exceeding our original goals under this grant award. We also promoted our part-time Program Assistant to a full-time Program Associate role to supportthe heavy administrative work of the program and outreach to partner firms. The Program Associate also updated and improved our application and data entry portals for weekly reporting and, as of January 2024, took over social media for the Link Up Illinois program, expanding our social media presence for both brick and mortar and farm direct firms to great effect. The additional staff has also enabled us to increase our presence in the stores themselves, providing increased outreach to SNAP customers and additional onsite support and training forgrocery store cashiers. Among the new brick and mortar locations, Link Up Illinlois partneredwith Albertson's Jewel/Osco to offer Link Match at 7stores (fourlocated on the South and West Sides of Chicago and three outside of Chicago)and Yellow Banana to launch in their newly reopened Save-A-Lot store on Chicago's west side. The response to the Save-A-Lot store's reopening with Link Match has been especially positive, asthe Save-A-Lot brand (under previous owners) had developed a negative image over the years and, due to community protest, a Yellow Banana-owned Save-A-Lot store was prevented from opening in the Englewood neighborhood. Despite the challenges and slowness, we continue to work with Pete's Fresh Markets to institute a Link Match program at several of their locations. In particular, their locations in Calumet and Evergreen Park would be highly impactful, given their high low-income population. As noted in a previous report, expanding into grocery store locations can be a long and slow process compared to expansion into farmers markets who are eager to support their farmers and SNAP customers and who do not have the challenge of integrating incentives into their POS system. As we work with various POS systems, we are able to learn more about varying incentive technologies.The Albertson's locations promised to enableus to test out multiple technologies, including a Jewel/Osco app downloaded onto a smart phone versuspaper vouchers issued at the point of sale. In the end, Jewel/Osco was unable to employ both the app and the receipt/voucher. Consequently, all of the locations are employing a receipt/voucher.In speaking with other organizations that work with another brand under Albertson's, we have found thatboth systems seem to work well. The paper receipt/voucher is felt to be more equitable, as everyone can receive and redeem them. The app-based incentive may not be available toseniors and others who do not have a smartphone or are not tech savvy, or who do not have data service at all times during the month.Whileredemption rates are not as high in any of their stores as people would want, redemption rates arehigher with the app, as the incentive cannot accidentally be thrown away. With our paper receipt-based incentive, we are pleased to see our redemption rates increasing each month.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Experimental Station. (2024, April 1). 2023 Increasing Food Access Report.
|
Progress 08/01/22 to 07/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:Link Up Illinois works with firms throughout the state of Illinois to provide nutrition incentives to SNAP recipients. With COVID Relief and Response funding, Link Up Illinois provides nutrition incentives to SNAP recipients in Black and Hispanic communities, especially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Link Up Illinois provides a variety of opportunities for training and development to partner firms as well as our own personnel. Store managers are trained in all aspects of implementing a Link Match program at their store (including requirements for integrating incentives into their POS system, how to collect and enter data, how to market the program), while store personnel are trained in how to implement the program at the point of sale (distribution of incentives, redemption of incentives) and how to report on data to Experimental Station/Link Up Illinois. Link Up Illinois staffreceivedprofessional development training in Google data analytics with the aim of developing a new data collection tool for the program. Also, with staff changes during the grant period, new staff received training in all aspects of the program. Throughout the grant period, Experimental Station administrators continued to received professional development in grant management and OMB requirements. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In spring 2023, Experimental Station created the 2022 Increasing Food Access Report that providesboth an introduction to the Link Up Illinois program, as well as collected data reflectingprogram gains. The 2022 Increasing Food Access Reportwasshared broadly with stakeholders of all types, including all Illinois state lawmakers (each received a personalized letter with their copy), all Link Up Illinois partners, funding partners, and the general public.It isavailable on the Experimental Station website at experimentalstation.org/impacts and isavailable in hard copy upon request. Experimental Station also produced (in English and Spanish) a statewide guide to farmers markets, mobile markets, and brick-and-mortar venues that accept SNAP and offer Link Match. 60,000 copies of the statewide guide were distributed to partner firms, Illinois Department of Human Services offices, City offices, and was also available via digital distribution. Link Up Illinois staff shared program results and impacts throughout the year at stakeholder meetings and at local, statewide, and national conferences. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the coming year, Link Up Illinois plans tobuild and develop partnerships with POS processing operators (RDS, LOC) to facilitate expansion of Link Match in 2024to additional small and mid-size independent grocery storepartners serving Black and Hispanic communities. We will continue to test out new technologies, match practices, and match limits for employing incentives in a brick-and-mortar setting, produce a variety of promotional materials to build further Link Match brand recognition, and carry out a survey of SNAP customers to evaluate the impact of the program. We will continue to work with our brick-and-mortar firms to improve the quality of the produce they are selling and to increase the amount of locally produced fruits and vegetables they offer. However, as Illinois imports 95% of the foods Illinoisans consume, Experimental Station sees a major challenge to increasing the amount of locally grown produce available to SNAP customers in grocery store settings; Illinois simply does not produce enough food to do so. We will also advocate activelyfor the creation of a state plan to rebuild the farming infrastructure needed to meet the increased demand for locally grown foods and for support for Illinois farmers growing fruits and vegetables (i.e. specialty crops).
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During the reporting period, Experimental Station worked with the Midwest Independent Retailers Association (MIRA) to identify additional mid-size independent grocery stores located outside of Chicago and serving Black and Hispanic communities in need. Previously, Experimental Station's Link Up Illinois program had expanded Link Match to four food cooperatives around the state and, since 2020, piloted Link Match at two Chicago corner stores (Mi Mexico and Morgan Mini-Mart), a Cermak Fresh Market,Go Green Community Fresh Market, and Town Square Market in Carbondale.During the reporting period, Link Up Illinois continued to work with thefour targeted non-Chicago stores identified in 2022--two Pete's Fresh Marketslocations south of Chicago in Evergreen Park and Calumet City,One Stop Grocery in Chicago,and one Cermak Fresh Market located in Aurora, Illinois. Experimental Station has learned, through the Pete's and Cermak Fresh Market experiences, that--unlike farmers markets--the time from initial conversations with an independent grocer to program launch can easily take multiple years. With strong Link Up Illinois promotional support and in-store outreach, weare thrilled that One Stop Grocery, which serves an almost entirely low-income clientele, has built in the past year a thriving Link Match program with significantly increased produce sales.Pete's Fresh Market has beenslow to move forward, but is at last workingto integrate nutrition incentives into their POS system. Cermak Fresh Market is successfully implementing Link Match in Chicago and assessing expansion to the Aurora store and an additional store in Chicago. During the reporting period, Experimental Stationdeveloped plans for expansion to threeadditional grocery store chains: Albertson's (Jewel/Osco), Yellow Banana (Save-A-Lot), and Super Mercados El Guero. Link Up Illinois team worked with Albertson's and Yellow Banana store owners and staff topilot incentivesat 3-4Jewel/Osco stores in Chicago, DeKalb, and Antioch, Illinois, and at the Save-A-Lot grocery store in Chicago's very under-resourcedEnglewood neighborhood. The Save-A-Lot store has received negative publicity since openingin spring 2023, with community members unhappy about the quality of the foods being offered. By instituting a Link Match program, we anticipate that the store will be able to purchase higher-quality vegetables and that the community will feel that the store is making an effort to better serve them.Super Mercados El Guero has three locationsin Chicago. In July and August 2023, in collaboration with Dr. Chelsea Singleton (Tulane University), Link Up Illinois staff developed and implemented the 2023evaluation survey which was offered in both English and Spanish, and which was made available for the first time in paper and digital format.
Publications
|
Progress 08/01/21 to 07/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:Link Up Illinoisworks with firms throughout the state of Illinois to provide nutrition incentives to SNAP recipients. With COVID Relief and Response funding, Link Up Illinoisprovidesnutrition incentives to SNAP recipients in Black and Hispanic communities, especially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Link Up Illinois provides a variety of opportunities for training and development to partner firms as well as our own personnel. Store managers are trained in all aspects of implementing a Link Match program at their store (including requirements for integrating incentives into their POS system, how to collect and enter data, how to market the program), while store personnel are trained in how to implement the program at the point of sale (distribution of incentives, redemption of incentives) and how to report on data to Experimental Station/Link Up Illinois. Link Up Illinois staff is receiving professional developmenttraining in Google data analytics with the aim ofdeveloping a new data collection tool for the program. Experimental Station administrators have received professional development in grant management and OMB requirements. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In spring 2022, Experimental Station createdan annual report on program gains which is shared broadly. The 2021 Increasing Food Access Report is available on the Experimental Station website at experimentalstation.org/impacts. It is available in hard copy upon request. Experimental Station also produced (in English and Spanish) a statewide guideto farmers markets, mobile markets, and brick-and-mortar venuesthat accept SNAP and offer Link Match. 60,000 copies of the statewide guide were distributed to partner firms, Illinois Department of Human Services offices, and aldermanic and City offices, as well as through digital distribution.Link Up Illinois staff shared program results and impacts throughout the year at stakeholder meetings and at local, statewide, and national conferences. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the coming year, Link Up Illinois plans to create handbooks for each tier of the brick-and-mortar firms with whom we partner, build and develop partnerships with POS processing operators (RDS, LOC) to facilitate expansion in 2023 ofLink Match to additional small and mid-sizeindependent grocery stores serving Black and Hispanic communities. We will continue to test out new technologies, match practices, and match limits for employing incentives in a brick-and-mortar setting, produce a variety of promotional materials, and carry out a survey of SNAP customers to evaluate the impact of the program.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During the reporting period, Experimental Station partnered with the Midwest Independent Retailers Association (MIRA) to expand Link Match to three additional mid-size independent grocery stores located outside of Chicago and serving Black and Hispanic communities in need. Previously, Experimental Station'sLink Up Illinois program had expanded Link Match tofour food cooperatives around the state and, since 2020, piloted Link Matchat two corner stores, Cermak Fresh Market, and One Stop Grocery in Chicago, and the Town Square Market in Carbondale.The three new targeted non-Chicago storesinclude two Pete's Fresh Market in locations south of Chicago (Evergreen Park and Calumet City) and one Cermak Fresh Market located in Aurora, Illinois. Pete's Fresh Market iscurrently working with a data processing firmto integrate nutrition incentives into their POS system and will launch their program this fall. Cermak Fresh Market is fully implementing Link Match in Chicago and assessing expansion to the Aurora store. Experimental Station has learned,through theCermak Fresh Market and One Stop Grocery pilots, that the time from initial conversations with an independent grocerto program launch can easily takea year or more. A goal for fall 2022 is to begin conversations with at least four additional local and regional grocers,with MIRA assisting with store selection andtechnical assistance. Followingrevamping of the Link Up Illinois online funding application, formalization ofthe brick-and-mortar retail grant application categories (Neighborhood Grocer, Local Grocer, Regional Grocer), and institution of more formal training practices and requirements in early 2022, Link Up Illinois launched Link Match attwonew neighborhood independent grocery stores located in Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in Chicago (Go Green Community Fresh Market) and East St. Louis (Neighbor's Marketplace), while also developing potential partnerships with stores inEast St. Louis and Waukegan, Illinois. To expand the reach of the Link Match program,Experimental Station partnered this year with Top Box Foods, which provides home delivery. The Top Box Foods partnership has enabled Link Up Illinois to test out new match limits in another type of venue. In July and August 2022, in collaboration with Dr. Chelsea Singleton, Link Up Illinois staff developed the 2022 evaluation survey which was carried out at the Cermak Fresh Market store and Go Green Community Fresh Market.
Publications
|
|