Cedar Chest partners with Grow Food Northampton to battle hunger

Photo courtesy of Grow Food Northampton

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – Cedar Chest, the anchor store in Thornes Marketplace, has announced its second-year partnership with Grow Food Northampton, a local food justice organization, to combat food insecurity and hunger in the community.

The collaboration aims to ensure that individuals facing these challenges have access to healthy and locally grown farm foods throughout the year at Grow Food Northampton’s farmers markets.

One of the key initiatives of the partnership is the Grow Food Northampton SNAP Match program. This program enables community members who rely on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), formerly known as “food stamps,” to stretch their purchasing power and obtain more nutritious local produce and farm products. Participants can benefit from this program at the weekly Tuesday Market farmers market, located behind Thorne’s Marketplace, as well as at the Winter Market held at the Northampton Senior Center during the winter season.

To further support the cause, Cedar Chest is launching the “Give $10, Get $10” promotion starting June 12. Under this initiative, Cedar Chest customers have the opportunity to donate $10 to the Grow Food Northampton SNAP Match program. In return, they receive a $10 gift card to be redeemed at Cedar Chest.

Alex Feinstein, co-owner of Cedar Chest, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership with Grow Food Northampton, stating, “The ‘Give $10 Get $10’ program is a fun way to collaborate locally and support the incredible work of Grow Food Northampton. We welcome customers to join us in making a positive impact by simply giving $10 and, in return, receiving a $10 gift card. Together, we can nourish our community while enjoying everything Cedar Chest has to offer!”

Alisa Klein, Executive Director of Grow Food Northampton, emphasized the significance of business collaborations like this one, saying, “We are committed to ensuring that every member of our community, no matter their income level, has access to healthy, locally grown produce. We’re so grateful to Cedar Chest! Every dollar our SNAP Match program shares with community members who are food-insecure comes from generous business sponsorships and collaborations like this with Cedar Chest.”

Helen Kahn, the Farmers Market Manager at Grow Food Northampton, highlighted the impact of the SNAP Match program on the community. “The Tuesday Market is a weekly, vibrant, community event that allows people to purchase incredibly fresh, local foods directly from the growers. Our SNAP Match program not only makes these foods more accessible to a larger number of our neighbors, it also keeps money in our local economy. We rely on the generosity of businesses like Cedar Chest for the continued success of this ever-expanding program,” she explained.

The partnership between Cedar Chest and Grow Food Northampton exemplifies the power of collaboration and community support in addressing food insecurity and promoting access to nutritious, locally sourced food.

With initiatives like the Grow Food Northampton SNAP Match program and the “Give $10, Get $10” promotion, they aim to make a lasting impact on the well-being of individuals and the community as a whole.