Los Angeles, CA | June 13, 2024 – National Health Foundation (NHF), a leading community-based service provider of housing and community health programs, is joining the call to urge Governor Newsom to support the proposed allocated budget for Market Match and the California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP) presented in the Joint Legislative Budget plan released by California’s Legislator on May 30, 2024.
Market Match, funded by CNIP, is a statewide food safety net program, launched in 2009, and offers a dollar-for-dollar match to low-income consumers who use CalFresh and other nutrition benefits to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, and other items at farm-direct locations like farmers’ markets. The program improves access to fresh, locally grown food while simultaneously helping low-income families and households stretch their food budgets each month. The program is estimated to provide a $19.5 million economic benefit to small and local California farmers. For every $1 spent at the farmer’s market using Market Match, $3.62 is generated for small farms and the local economy. It’s a win-win!
Unfortunately, with a negative outlook for the state’s budget, Governor Newsom proposed to cut $33.2 million from CNIP in his May Revision, drastically reducing the program and all but eliminating Market Match. This proposed cut would have a devastating impact on low-income households across California, like many that come to NHF for their CalFresh Connection program. NHF’s CalFresh Connection program offers one-on-one technical help with CalFresh applications through trained and dedicated Community Health Workers and Promotores de Salud (CHW/P). NHF’s CalFresh CHW/Ps, who are community leaders and passionate supporters of eradicating food insecurity and improving health in their neighborhoods, are the driving forces behind this work.
Fortina Hernandez, one of NHF’s CalFresh Promotoras, explains that she sees dozens of community members every week who are eligible for CalFresh, and almost all are referred to Market Match. One of her clients, Marisol, shares that, “I feel happy that I’m able to use my CalFresh benefits at my local farmers market and use the Market Match program. I know I’m saving money at the same time I’m buying healthy foods for my family!”
Thankfully the Joint Legislative Budget Plan released by the California Assembly and Senate preserves full funding for CNIP and Market Match! We now need Governor Newsom to accept this proposal. We encourage everyone interested in improving food access, food justice, and strong local economies to call or email Governor Newsom and urge that he accepts the Joint Legislator plan and fully fund CNIP and Market Match in the 2024-2025 state budget. Call scripts and example emails can be found here and/or here.
For more information on National Health Foundation and/or their Nutrition and Food Access programs, please email cmonk@nhfca.org.