Company : GreenTree Co-op Market
Program category : Food Insecurity

Origins:

GreenTree Co-op Market offers a 5% discount to shoppers every time they make a purchase using their SNAP benefits.

Contribution:

GreenTree Co-op Market supports this program through it's operational budget.

Objectives:

To increase food access to individuals with limited income.

Impact:

GreenTree Co-op Market moved to a new location in December 2021 and launched this program in January 2022. We wanted to make our new, larger, more visible, location more accessible to our closest residents including a senior/low-income housing complex. The program has been very popular and widely used. First-year usage was fifteen times greater than what we had budgeted.

Quote:

Our Food Access Program is just one way that we're trying to make our store and our products more accessible to more people in our community. We're happy that so many individuals and families were able to utilize the program in its first year and we look forward to its continuation.

Support Statement:

Michigan Community Capital partnered with GreenTree on their 2021 expansion in downtown Mt. Pleasant. Their expansion aligns with a priority goal of MCC in supporting low-income households in accessing healthy foods. GreenTree Co-op has approximately 1,159 members who reside in Low-Income Census Tracts, about 51.9% of the current total. The new location at 410 Broadway is directly across the street from the Census tract with the highest proportion of SNAP/EBT participation in the entire county—32% as compared to the countywide participation rate of 18%. In connection with the relocation and planned expansion, GreenTree undertook initiatives to further enhance its impact and accessibility as a resource for nutrition and healthy foods to disadvantaged people in Mount Pleasant: