Coupon program helps seniors get fresh, local food

A new program is helping local seniors get more fresh food into their kitchens.

Nourish the Flathead, a nonprofit, health-conscious organization, is giving away $40 coupon books to senior citizens for fresh produce and prepared foods from the Whitefish Downtown Farmers Market. This is the program’s first year.

Barb Brant, the program’s organizer, said the coupons can really change a diet.

“Some of these seniors can’t prepare food at home, so things like pesto and salsa can be great,” Brant said. “It’s a great way to honor seniors.”

Brant said most of the funding for the program comes from private donations; another portion comes from the Whitefish Community Foundation. At the same booth at the farmers market is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which gives food stamps to eligible people in the community.

“The state of Montana has $13 million worth of food stamps annually,” Brant said. “If even 10 percent of that is spent locally, that would be huge.”

Brant said creating the program was a good decision for her organization, especially considering how closely local communities used to be tied to farming. There used to be 10 dairies in Whitefish, and local seniors miss having those local ties to their food. 

While seniors get some tasty, fresh food with the SNAP program, so do those who can use an economic boost. Brant said Nourish the Flathead has an extra incentive for people to come to the markets.

“It’s our SNAP2 program. It doubles the first $5 you get for SNAP,” she said. “It’s basically $5 free. If more people knew they had a free $5, more people would come.”

The people giving out the coupon books and SNAP materials tend to be young volunteers, Brant said. Last week, at least one of the volunteers was from Montana Academy, a therapeutic boarding school in Marion.

Having young volunteers gives the program a bit of an intergenerational bridge.

Sallie and Alan Gratch were two of the seniors collecting the books to get some food. Sallie said she loves the program not only for the fresh produce but for the interaction with younger people.

“I think it’s fantastic for people to think about their food,” she said. “How they eat, what they prepare, and having younger people help is all great. At a supermarket you see all these foods and don’t know where they come from.”

The program will continue for the rest of market season, and Brant, along with Nourish the Flathead, will do an assessment to see if the program will return next year. 

Reporter Ryan Murray may be reached at 758-4436 or at rmurray@dailyinterlake.com.