Growing Your Grassroots: Employing Local Community Leaders for SNAP & Incentive Outreach
Presenter: Food Navigator and Fresh Link Ambassador programs
Interested in engaging community members with outreach, promotion, and education for your market’s nutrition incentive program? Experts will present on two different community outreach programs: FreshLink Ambassadors and Food Navigators that employ community members to spread the word about how to access fresh, healthy, locally grown food.
FreshLink
FreshLink Ambassadors is a peer-to-peer marketing and outreach approach to spread the word about farmers’ markets to support the use of SNAP and nutrition incentives. Developed and evaluated through community-engaged research at Case Western Reserve University, Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods in Cleveland, Ohio, the FreshLink Ambassador approach leverages social connections, trustworthiness, and capacity of community champions who raise awareness about and build social connections to farmers’ markets located in their neighborhoods. The FreshLink Ambassador Technical Assistance team now seeks to share learnings with individuals, organizations and communities interested in implementing this approach in their local context.
Participants in this webinar can expect the following:
- Learn more about the core components of the FreshLink Ambassador approach.
- Understand the impact FreshLink Ambassadors has on individuals, communities, and farmers’ markets.
- Hear testimonials from a former FreshLink Ambassador and Farmers’ Market Manager about their experiences and the benefits of this peer-to-peer outreach approach.
Food Navigators
The Michigan Farmers Market Association in collaboration with the Michigan Fitness Foundation created the Food Navigator program which operates in farmers markets that accept food assistance benefits and are located in underserved communities. Food Navigators work to increase access to fresh, affordable food and help shoppers eat healthy.
Click the image below for recording of the webinar.
Presentations and FAQ can be found here:
- FMC and Hub Introduction
- Main Presentation- Food Navigator
- Main Presentation- Freshlink Ambassador
- Q&A