The Collaborative leads the Campaign for HIP Funding to ensure that the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), which provides fresh, healthy, local fruits and vegetables for SNAP recipients, receives increased funding to meet demand, operates year-round, and adds new farmers to fill gaps in program coverage. The Campaign coalition includes more than 300 farmers, farmers markets, nonprofit agricultural and food system organizations, faith institutions, healthcare institutions, individuals with lived experience with food insecurity, and more. The Campaign is advocating for level funding of $24 million for HIP in the fiscal year 2024 budget.
Join the Campaign for HIP funding by signing on here!
View current campaign updates and calls to action here.
The Collaborative has written a report on the history of the Campaign for HIP Funding, which can be found here. We are grateful for the many advocates who have made this Campaign a success
Campaign highlights
The hundreds of Campaign members have had significant successes since the campaign began. We especially want to thank the Campaign Steering Committee; Leran Minc and Jen Lemmerman of Project Bread, Karen Schwalbe of SEMAP, Zoey Sloate of CISA, Mackenzie May of Central Mass. Grown, Laura Sylvester of the Food Bank of Western Mass, Laura Smith of Lane Gardens and Oakdale Farms, Vickey Siggers of Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition, Lesly Melendez of Groundwork Lawrence, Jean McMurray of the Worcester County Food Bank, Jessica Wilson of Mill City Grows, Aiesha Washington of Action for Boston Community Development, and Liz O’Gilvie of the Springfield Food Policy Council and Gardening the Community, for their work strategizing and guiding our advocacy.
We have successfully advocated for $59 million for the program since 2017:
In 2022, the program was opened to applications from new vendors, specifically targeting Black SNAP clients, SNAP clients with disabilities, and priority communities with limited access to the program. HIP is a strong racial equity tool and we were excited to see this opportunity and thoughtful approach from the Department of Transitional Assistance that added 107 new vendors to the program!
In 2020 we succeeded in efforts to make the program more equitable when the Department of Transitional Assistance opened the program up to new farmers. 39 farmer vendors were authorized to fill geographic gaps in program coverage, many of them farmers of color committed to serving their communities with limited access to fresh healthy produce.
In 2020 the legislature passed and the governor signed a law making the program year-round, as a way of avoiding the annual suspensions that have undercut the program’s effectiveness.
Finally, we have built significant support in the legislature. The program is one of the top priorities of the Legislature’s bicameral and bipartisan Food System Caucus, which has more than 145 members and counting.
HIP highlights
HIP/SNAP outreach resources developed by Campaign members.
Videos and stories from HIP families and farmers, produced by the Campaign.
Media coverage of HIP’s successes ,and history of the program.
Information about the program from the Department of Transitional Assistance.
For more information about the campaign, please contact Becca Miller.
