FREDERICK, Md. - Grace Thorne struggled to keep Wednesday afternoon open.
That afternoon you have to go to the market.
"The food is good, this is a good quality product," Thorne said, staring at the brown paper bag containing apples, peppers, lettuce and broccoli.
69-year-old resident Frederick is a regular visitor to Produce at SNAP, a Baltimore-based Harvest Hungry program, to bring low-cost products to the market with geographical or financial constraints for healthy food.
"I'm an older person with limited income, and that complements what I buy at a grocery store," Thorne said.
The weekly market managed by YMCA staff and Frederick District volunteers sells fruits and vegetables that farmers or retailers cannot sell because of imperfections. People on the market can get products at half the price of supermarkets, according to the Hungry Harvest website.
For $ 7, people on the Wednesday market receive a basket of lettuce, broccoli, paprika, potatoes, pears and apples. For a few dollars more avocados, blueberries or cauliflower can be added. Market customers can pay with the Additional Nutrition Assistance Program and Electronic Benefits Transfer money. Nearly 6,000 regional homes received SNAP benefits, according to the US Census Bureau. Act
Stacy Carroll, associate director at Hungry Harvest, said the organization had grown to around 30 markets along the east coast. While Hungry Harvest previously targeted its market to areas considered "desert food" where there was little access to healthy food, the organization is now considering a number of factors, he said.
"The fact that there is a grocery store does not mean healthy food can be accessed," Carroll said.
According to Feeding America, more than 15,400 people in Frederick County are considered unsafe food, which means they lack access or financial capacity to buy healthy food.
He said that the low price and the ability to exchange some food for others caused Thorne to return. Thorne also brought friends to the market.
"This is a win-win for me," he said.
Molly Spence said she learned about the market on Facebook. His family is four, including two small children, eating a lot of products, which can be expensive, he said. They like to go to the farmers market and grow their own food, but their choices are limited to cooler months.
"I think that's a great thing they offer and I hope it stays," said 41-year-old resident Frederick.
The market for Producing in SNAP was previously held in Lucas Village when the local partner Harvest Hungry was the Frederick City Housing Authority. The partnership with the YMCA began in January.
About 100 people come to the market every week, said Leia Wood, director of arts and humanities at the YMCA.
The market is open every Wednesday from 3 to 6 nights. in the YMCA teaching kitchen at Bernard W. Brown Community Center, 629 N. Market St.
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