Yesterday, at a press conference at Poe Park, Councilman Ritchie Torres announced funding for Health Bucks, an innovative program to promote healthier choices for Bronx residents whereby coupons offering $2 toward fruits and vegetables from farmer’s markets are distributed through local organizations to residents. Torres has allocated $10,000 towards Health Bucks for his District and is the first member of the City Council to fund this program, using valuable discretionary dollars for the initiative that could have went to fund already established social service programs in the community. It’s literally putting your money where your mouth is. Health Bucks is a fantastic deal for SNAP recipients: For every $5 in EBT purchases, qualifying consumers receive an additional $2 in Health Bucks. Data from the CDC shows that the Health Bucks program leads SNAP recipients to shop at farmer’s markets with more frequency, due to the incentive the program offers. 
“The neighborhoods I represent in the Bronx face serious health issues. Seniors with diabetes have a death rate more than double that of New York City. The childhood obesity rate is the highest in New York City. Two-thirds of residents are overweight or obese,” said Council Member Torres. “I am proud to announce an unprecedented investment of $10,000 in the Health Bucks program, which increases access to fruits and vegetables for residents, particularly for low-income residents. The Health Bucks program is a momentous step in addressing public health concerns in my district and citywide”. “Council Member Torres’ unprecedented securing of $10,000 from the City’s 2015 budget for Health Bucks in District 15 represents a significant win for the many residents who indicated that being able to afford to buy fresh produce in their neighborhood farmers markets was very important to them. With the Bronx having some of the highest rates of diet-related diseases such as obesity and diabetes in New York State, these Health Bucks will go a long way to making fresh fruits and vegetables more affordable for Bronx residents,” said Charmaine Ruddock, Project Director for Bronx Health REACH. “We know that individuals that shop at farmers markets have a greater intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. Health Bucks play a critical role to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to the freshest, healthiest food available, as well as provide crucial income to regional farmers. Last year almost $1 million dollars was spent in SNAP at our Greenmarkets, thanks in part to the $2 Health Buck incentive. We are very thankful to Council Member Torres for earmarking this money for an important win-win program that has value not only in promoting the health of participants but also the preservation of our local farming community,” said Michael Hurwitz, Greenmarket Director for GrowNYC. Data from 2009 shows 17.2% of New York City residents in low-income neighborhoods reported eating no fruits and vegetables on the preceding day, compared with 8.0% of residents in high-income neighborhoods (CDC). Farmers markets, which are located in several locations in the Central Bronx, provide a promising venue to decrease this disparity. The Health Bucks program was first introduced as a 2004 pilot program in Council District 15, by the DOH Bronx District Public Health Office, and is now currently operated through local DOH offices in the South Bronx, Harlem, and Central Brooklyn.
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