Progress 09/15/22 to 10/31/24
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, "Scaling Double Up Food Bucks" centered around improving access to healthy produce to address food insecurity in three communities in the Greater Boston Area, in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Cambridge-Central Square, MA, as the resident populations in these diverse neighborhoods have traditionally faced high levels of food insecurity. Outcomes were to be achieved through expansion of DUFB to two new communities, and a pilot test of DUFB through our online delivery platform offering free delivery within 2 miles of our stores. Since implementing this 2022 GusNIP Double Up Food Bucks opportunity, Daily Table has expanded offerings to two additional store locations as the incentive program and our nonprofit retail model continues to grow. New store locations in the Greater Boston Area are located at Mattapan 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 made the decision to unlock the daily limit of DUFB for our customer beginning in January 2024. From January through August, we tracked an 84% increase in the amount of produce SNAP customers purchased. What we learned from trying an innovative approach of "no daily limit" was that 83% of DUFB transactions between January and May 2024 used a $10 match or less, and 96% were less than a $20 match. This showed that although some SNAP customers utilized the opportunity to purchase more produce, going forward it isn't necessary to have an "unlimited" approach. Through our community grocer model, we are reaching many families who are shopping with smaller basket sizes (most spending under $20 in produce per grocery trip), and purchasing more frequently. Due to the increase of DUFB redemptions, we have depleted funds from our final 2022 GusNIP grant much earlier than anticipated, expending all funds by September 2024 and are requesting an early closeout of the grant award. 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 increased the amount of produce purchased by increasing DUFB redemptions Daily Table has partnered with USDA GusNIP to redeem DUFB since 09/01/2020. In the year prior to Daily Table's GusNIP 2022 DUFB grant, Daily Table redeemed $247,596 in DUFB which we established as our 2022 baseline. In Year 1 (09/2022-08/2023) of this grant period, Daily Table redeemed $301,039 in DUFB, a 21.5% annual increase. During this Year 1 period, Daily Table also opened its fourth store in Mattapan in March 2023. In Year 2 (09/2023 - 08/2024), Daily Table redeemed $659,493 in DUFB. This is a 119% increase over Year 1 and a 166% increase over the 2022 baseline. During the Year 2 period, we also opened a fifth store in Salem, MA. From January-August 2024, Daily Table also removed the $5 daily limit of DUFB redemptions at our stores to pilot unlimited redemptions of the DUFB discount for SNAP beneficiaries which supported the dramatic increase in DUFB redemptions and proved our concept that it's primarily affordability, not accessibility, that limits consumption of produce for low-income families. The opening of stores in Mattapan and Salem introduced DUFB in two additional communities. Already, these openings have positively impacted the 166% increase in DUFB redemptions over the 2022 baseline across the five communities. Daily Table has formalized its POS sale system and, while we piloted an online platform and delivery system during COVID, beneficiary uptake was low and operational costs too high to justify continuation beyond the pilot period. At the 2022 baseline, 61% of SNAP beneficiaries were using DUFB redemptions to expand their purchasing power at Daily Table. By Year 1, 82% of SNAP beneficiaries were using DUFB. In Year 2, 84% of SNAP beneficiaries utilized DUFB with their purchase. At the 2022 baseline, we had 239 average daily SNAP beneficiaries. By Year 1, we had 295 average daily SNAP beneficiaries, a 23% increase! In Year 2, we currently have 403 average daily SNAP beneficiaries shopping at our stores, a 68% increase over 2022 baseline! On average, over the grant period, produce sales have comprised 30-32% of total sales. In more recent months, since removing the DUFB $5 limit, produce sales now comprise between 35-40% of total 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 increased local and regionally produced fruits and vegetables consumed by SNAP recipients 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. 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. Other 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 have increased access to affordably priced local produce through collaboration with local partners to bring culturally responsive produce to our stores. We have made additions to our produce assortment, across all five locations, 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: local fresh callaloo, green tomatoes, long grilling peppers, local banana peppers, poblano peppers, hatch chili peppers, local fresh okra, cactus pears, young coconuts with drinking straws, florida avocado, dragon fruit, pomegranate, batata, watercress, and red cactus pear. 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). From the 2022 baseline, Daily Table experienced a 132% increase in DUFB redemptions across all communities, redeeming $659,493 in DUFB so far in Year 2. With this data, we are confident we are reaching more SNAP beneficiaries with fresh produce than ever before. ACTUAL GOAL 3 OUTCOME: Daily Table has demonstrated the benefits of a nonprofit retail grocery model for delivering SNAP incentives to increase the consumption of healthy produce. We have discontinued our online sales and delivery model. 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. We promote DUFB in most email newsletters (each newsletter has a 12K+ person footprint). As part of a strategic marketing effort and data evaluation opportunity, Daily Table launched a customer loyalty program in 2024 with the goal of tracking customer shopping habits by incentivizing customers who shop frequently with points that translate into discounts. The data collected, phone numbers and zip codes, allows us to respect customers' privacy while collecting data and tracking operational metricsWhen 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 the first quarter of the $5 daily limit's removal, we saw incentive benefits rise by 50%, demonstrating that Daily Table's model is highly effective. While Daily Table piloted an online platform and delivery system during COVID, beneficiary uptake was low and operational costs too high to justify continuation beyond the pilot period. This decision allowed us to allocate resources more effectively to in-store initiatives and community engagement activities. While these changes marked a deviation from our initial plans, they enabled us to focus more on in-store services and local outreach, maintaining our overall impact. 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. Conducting surveys in partnership with NTAE also quantifies our approach to highlight the challenges and successes of our nonprofit grocery model.
Publications
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Progress 09/15/22 to 10/28/24
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, "Scaling Double Up Food Bucks" centered around improving access to healthy produce to address food insecurity in three communities in the Greater Boston Area, in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Cambridge-Central Square, MA, as the resident populations in these diverse neighborhoods have traditionally faced high levels of food insecurity. Outcomes were to be achieved through expansion of DUFB to two new communities, and a pilot test of DUFB through our online delivery platform offering free delivery within 2 miles of our stores. Since implementing this 2022 GusNIP Double Up Food Bucks opportunity, Daily Table has expanded offerings to two additional store locations as the incentive program and our nonprofit retail model continues to grow. New store locations in the Greater Boston Area are located at Mattapan 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 made the decision to unlock the daily limit of DUFB for our customer beginning in January 2024. From January through August, we tracked an 84% increase in the amount of produce SNAP customers purchased. What we learned from trying an innovative approach of "no daily limit" was that 83% of DUFB transactions between January and May 2024 used a $10 match or less, and 96% were less than a $20 match. This showed that although some SNAP customers utilized the opportunity to purchase more produce, going forward it isn't necessary to have an "unlimited" approach. Through our community grocer model, we are reaching many families who are shopping with smaller basket sizes (most spending under $20 in produce per grocery trip), and purchasing more frequently. Due to the increase of DUFB redemptions, we have depleted funds from our final 2022 GusNIP grant much earlier than anticipated, expending all funds by September 2024. We had anticipated the continuation of this program in large part due to continued support from GusNIP with an application for a large-scale project submitted in 2024, in the amount of $1.7 Million over 4 years. We received unfortunate news that our project was declined. The lack of funding will cause Daily Table to temporarily suspend the Double Up Food Bucks program effective 9/30/2024. With support from the City of Cambridge, the City of Boston Office of Food Justice, and private Foundation support, including our partners at the MAV Family Foundation, we are actively working to raise the funding to reinstate the program as soon as possible. We had never planned to sustain the entire Double Up Food Bucks program without the addition of federal support from the GusNIP program to fund the incentive portion of the program. We look forward to the opportunity to apply for funding in the 2025 GusNIP cycle, with the aim of building a more robust and sustainable program funding stream that includes support from GusNIP. 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 increased the amount of produce purchased by increasing DUFB redemptions Daily Table has partnered with USDA GusNIP to redeem DUFB since 09/01/2020. In the year prior to Daily Table's GusNIP 2022 DUFB grant, Daily Table redeemed $247,596 in DUFB which we established as our 2022 baseline. In Year 1 (09/2022-08/2023) of this grant period, Daily Table redeemed $301,039 in DUFB, a 21.5% annual increase. During this Year 1 period, Daily Table also opened its fourth store in Mattapan in March 2023. In Year 2 (09/2023 - 08/2024), Daily Table redeemed $659,493 in DUFB. This is a 119% increase over Year 1 and a 166% increase over the 2022 baseline. During the Year 2 period, we also opened a fifth store in Salem, MA. From January-August 2024, Daily Table also removed the $5 daily limit of DUFB redemptions at our stores to pilot unlimited redemptions of the DUFB discount for SNAP beneficiaries which supported the dramatic increase in DUFB redemptions and proved our concept that it's primarily affordability, not accessibility, that limits consumption of produce for low-income families. The opening of stores in Mattapan and Salem introduced DUFB in two additional communities. Already, these openings have positively impacted the 166% increase in DUFB redemptions over the 2022 baseline across the five communities. Daily Table has formalized its POS sale system and, while we piloted an online platform and delivery system during COVID, beneficiary uptake was low and operational costs too high to justify continuation beyond the pilot period. At the 2022 baseline, 61% of SNAP beneficiaries were using DUFB redemptions to expand their purchasing power at Daily Table. By Year 1, 82% of SNAP beneficiaries were using DUFB. In Year 2, 84% of SNAP beneficiaries utilized DUFB with their purchase. At the 2022 baseline, we had 239 average daily SNAP beneficiaries. By Year 1, we had 295 average daily SNAP beneficiaries, a 23% increase! In Year 2, we currently have 403 average daily SNAP beneficiaries shopping at our stores, a 68% increase over 2022 baseline! On average, over the grant period, produce sales have comprised 30-32% of total sales. In more recent months, since removing the DUFB $5 limit, produce sales now comprise between 35-40% of total 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 increased local and regionally produced fruits and vegetables consumed by SNAP recipients 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. 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. Other 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 have increased access to affordably priced local produce through collaboration with local partners to bring culturally responsive produce to our stores. We have made additions to our produce assortment, across all five locations, 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: local fresh callaloo, green tomatoes, long grilling peppers, local banana peppers, poblano peppers, hatch chili peppers, local fresh okra, cactus pears, young coconuts with drinking straws, florida avocado, dragon fruit, pomegranate, batata, watercress, and red cactus pear. 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). From the 2022 baseline, Daily Table experienced a 132% increase in DUFB redemptions across all communities, redeeming $659,493 in DUFB so far in Year 2. With this data, we are confident we are reaching more SNAP beneficiaries with fresh produce than ever before. ACTUAL GOAL 3 OUTCOME: Daily Table has demonstrated the benefits of a nonprofit retail grocery model for delivering SNAP incentives to increase the consumption of healthy produce. We have discontinued our online sales and delivery model. 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. We promote DUFB in most email newsletters (each newsletter has a 12K+ person footprint). As part of a strategic marketing effort and data evaluation opportunity, Daily Table launched a customer loyalty program in 2024 with the goal of tracking customer shopping habits by incentivizing customers who shop frequently with points that translate into discounts. The data collected, phone numbers and zip codes, allows us to respect customers' privacy while collecting data and tracking operational metricsWhen 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 the first quarter of the $5 daily limit's removal, we saw incentive benefits rise by 50%, demonstrating that Daily Table's model is highly effective. While Daily Table piloted an online platform and delivery system during COVID, beneficiary uptake was low and operational costs too high to justify continuation beyond the pilot period. This decision allowed us to allocate resources more effectively to in-store initiatives and community engagement activities. While these changes marked a deviation from our initial plans, they enabled us to focus more on in-store services and local outreach, maintaining our overall impact. 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. Conducting surveys in partnership with NTAE also quantifies our approach to highlight the challenges and successes of our nonprofit grocery model.
Publications
|
Progress 09/15/23 to 09/14/24
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 there are also higher percentages of people of color. Our stores are located in these areas of the region with the highest food insecurity and the greatest need. Daily Table's project, "Scaling Double Up Food Bucks" centered around improving access to healthy produce to address food insecurity in three communities in the Greater Boston Area, in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Cambridge-Central Square, MA, as the resident populations in these diverse neighborhoods have traditionally faced high levels of food insecurity. Outcomes were to be achieved through expansion of DUFB to two new communities, and a pilot test of DUFB through our online delivery platform offering free delivery within 2 miles of our stores. Since implementing this 2022 GusNIP Double Up Food Bucks opportunity, Daily Table has expanded offerings to two additional store locations as the incentive program and our nonprofit retail model continues to grow. New store locations in the Greater Boston Area are located at Mattapan 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 500% since 2019, demonstrating that food 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 has motivated us to evaluate the impact and sustainability of removing this incentive cap permanently. In this most recent grant year, from September 2023 to July 2024 (with August numbers still pending), Daily Table has already redeemed $575,730 in DUFB! This is a 191% 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. 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 also female-led. 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 2024, Daily Table released its 2023 Annual Impact Report, which was distributed to all supporters via 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. 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 is currently working on 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?In Year 3 of this grant period, Daily Table will continue reporting on and evaluating the DUFB program's achievements and opportunities. Informed by the data, we will improve the incentive program throughout the grant period. Removal of the $5 daily limit in January 2024 exemplifies Daily Table's approach to refining program goals as we move forward. Through Marketing efforts and Community Engagement and Outreach, we aim to continue increasing DUFB incentive redemptions by SNAP beneficiaries. Having successfully opened five stores in the Greater Boston Area, as aligned with our grant objectives, Daily Table is in the early stages of planning further store expansions. A key outcome of this planning phase will include identification of priority neighborhoods to locate the additional locations needed to expand our mission impact. We will continue to prioritize low income areas with high rates of SNAP enrollment and limited access to healthy, affordable groceries to improve DUFB participation. Any area to be considered will fall within low-income low-access areas as defined by the USDA.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: Increase the amount of produce purchased by increasing DUFB redemptions Anticipated Outcome: Through expanded offerings and increased promotion increase redemptions at existing stores in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Cambridge by 20% annually compared to the 2022 baseline. Introduce the DUFB program to two additional communities resulting in a 100% increase in redemptions overall across the five communities. Deliver at least 10% of benefits via online platform and through grocery delivery. Increase the number of SNAP customers shopping at Daily Table and utilizing DUFB over the course of the program by 100%. Demonstrate that the continued scale up of DUFB results in SNAP recipients increasing the amount of produce purchased; our historical results indicate an increase of about 24% more produce purchased. ACTUAL GOAL 1 OUTCOME: Daily Table increased the amount of produce purchased by increasing DUFB redemptions Daily Table has partnered with USDA GusNIP to redeem DUFB since 09/01/2020. In the year prior to Daily Table's GusNIP 2022 DUFB grant, Daily Table redeemed $247,596 in DUFB which we established as our 2022 baseline. In Year 1 (09/2022-08/2023) of this grant period, Daily Table redeemed $301,039 in DUFB, a 21% annual increase. During this Year 1 period, Daily Table also opened its fourth store in Mattapan in March 2023. In Year 2 (09/2023 - 08/2024), with August numbers yet to be finalized, Daily Table has so far redeemed $575,730 in DUFB. This is a 91% increase over Year 1 and a 132% increase over the 2022 baseline. During the Year 2 period, we have opened a fifth store in Salem, MA, and have removed the $5 daily limit of DUFB redemptions at our stores which supported the dramatic increase in DUFB redemptions, proving our concept, that it's affordability not accessibility that limits consumption of produce. The opening of stores in Mattapan and Salem has introduced DUFB in two additional communities, which has already resulted in a 132% increase in redemptions over the 2022 baseline across the five communities. Daily Table has formalized its POS sale system and, while we piloted an online platform and delivery system during COVID, beneficiary uptake was low and operational costs too high to justify continuation beyond the pilot period. At the 2022 baseline, 61% of SNAP beneficiaries were using DUFB redemptions to expand their purchasing power at Daily Table. By Year 1, 82% of SNAP beneficiaries were using DUFB. In Year 2, 84% of SNAP beneficiaries have utilized DUFB. At the 2022 baseline, we had 239 average daily SNAP beneficiaries. By Year 1, we had 295 average daily SNAP beneficiaries, a 23% increase! In Year 2, we currently have 403 average daily SNAP beneficiaries shopping at our stores, a 68% increase over 2022 baseline! On average, over the grant period, produce sales have comprised 30-32% of total sales. In more recent months, since removing the DUFB $5 limit, produce sales now comprise between 35-40% of total sales. With DUFB redemptions outpacing our grant funding cycles, we know we are substantially increasing the amount of produce purchased by our shoppers. Goal 2: Increase local and regionally produced fruits and vegetables consumed by SNAP recipients Anticipated Outcome: Establish 15 new partnerships between local and retinol producers, suppliers, and Daily Table, surpassing 100 partners, to increase produce available to SNAP recipients as part of the DUFB program. Increase access to affordably-priced local and regionally produced fruits and vegetables by 100% throughout the five communities. Increase of 100% in locally and regionally sourced fresh produce purchased by SNAP recipients. ACTUAL GOAL 2 OUTCOME: Daily Table increased local and regionally produced fruits and vegetables consumed by SNAP recipients 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. 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. Other 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 have increased access to affordably priced local produce through collaboration with local partners to bring culturally responsive produce to our stores. We have made additions to our produce assortment, across all five locations, 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. 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). From the 2022 baseline, Daily Table experienced a 132% increase in DUFB redemptions across all communities, redeeming $575,730 in DUFB so far in Year 2. With this data, we are confident we are reaching more SNAP beneficiaries with fresh produce than ever before. Goal 3: Demonstrate the benefits of a nonprofit retail grocery model coupled with an online sales and delivery model for delivering SNAP incentives to increase the consumption of healthy produce. Anticipated outcome: Document, implement, and refine outreach, in-store engagement, and online marketing strategies to provide proof of concept for others. Demonstrate that the Daily Table model for delivering DUFB incentives is a highly effective model for increasing produce consumption among SNAP recipients by showing greater uptake compared to other participating stores. Demonstrating the importance of online sales and free delivery for the increase in purchases of healthy produce by local SNAP communities. Create two short case studies highlighting the nonprofit retail grocery model and online delivery methods for delivering SNAP incentives. ACTUAL GOAL 3 OUTCOME: Daily Table has demonstrated the benefits of a nonprofit retail grocery model for delivering SNAP incentives to increase the consumption of healthy produce. We have discontinued our online sales and delivery model. 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. We promote DUFB in most 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 the first quarter of the $5 daily limit's removal, we saw incentive benefits rise by 50%, demonstrating that Daily Table's model is highly effective. While Daily Table piloted an online platform and delivery system during COVID, beneficiary uptake was low and operational costs too high to justify continuation beyond the pilot period. 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. Conducting surveys in partnership with NTAE also quantifies our approach to highlight the challenges and successes of our nonprofit grocery model.
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Progress 09/15/22 to 09/14/23
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
There is nothing to report, as we have yet to start spending down this grant.
Publications
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