Produce Vouchers Available for Low-Income Seniors,Can Use at Bayonne Farmers’ Market

 

           CITY OF BAYONNE SEAL Mayor Mark A. Smith announced that produce market vouchers are available for low-income seniors through the Bayonne Office On Aging.  The vouchers would enable qualified seniors to purchase New Jersey-grown fresh fruit and vegetables at the Bayonne farmers’ market and other approved locations.  Participating farmers at the Bayonne farmers’ market sell New Jersey produce that is eligible for the voucher program.  The Bayonne farmers’ market takes place on Tuesdays from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at West 23rd Street and Del Monte Drive, which is located between Broadway and Avenue C.  The Office On Aging will indicate the locations of other approved farmers’ markets to the voucher recipients.

The program is targeted for seniors, 60 and older, whose income level is at or below 185% of the federally defined poverty level.  For a married couple, the maximum income level would be $2,392 per month.  For a single senior, the maximum income level would be $1,772 per month. 

            Interested seniors are asked to apply for the vouchers at the Office On Aging in  Room 17 of City Hall during designated application hours.  Those hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays only, starting on Friday, July 12.  Those hours will continue on Monday, July 15.  Applications will be accepted until all vouchers have been distributed.  Applicants must have valid identification for Bayonne residency and proof of age and income.  They must also sign statements attesting to their income qualifications for the vouchers.

            Each qualified senior will receive four $5.00 vouchers to be used only with the famers signed up with the program.  The vouchers may be used only with these qualifying farmers for the purchase of fresh, locally-grown New Jersey fruits and vegetables. Some consumer items, such as nuts, buttered corn, bakery products and pre-cooked, frozen dinners, are not eligible for the voucher program, even if they are sold at farmers’ markets.        

The voucher program is a joint venture with the New Jersey 5-A-Day Program, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, and the Hudson County Office On Aging.