Harrisburg, June 18, 2013 – State Sen. Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny/Westmoreland) encouraged seniors to take advantage of a program that provides free vouchers to purchase fresh produce grown in Pennsylvania.
The 2013 Senior Farmers’ Market Nutritional Program provides eligible individuals four $5 checks to use at any participating Farmers’ Market to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. Checks are available at a number of Westmoreland County locations throughout the summer.
“I support this effort to provide vouchers for healthy foods to older Pennsylvanians,” Brewster said. “This is an excellent program for both seniors and farmers in our state.”
The program is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and applies to Pennsylvanian produce such as apples, beans, berries, carrots, grapes, melons, spinach and tomatoes. The checks can be used from June 1, 2013 until Nov. 30, 2013.
To qualify for the program, a participant must be age 60 or older and a resident of Westmoreland County making less than $21,257 a year for a single person or $28,694 a year for a married couple. Residents of personal care homes, domiciliary care homes and convents are not eligible. Participants may only receive checks from one sign up location per year.
Participants must provide proof of age and residency when signing up for checks. Acceptable proofs of age include: PACE card, driver’s license, AAA card, baptismal certificate or birth certificate.
Homebound individuals may have someone apply for them with the required documentation of age and residency, as well as a completed proxy form. The proxy form will be available at the sign-up sites.
“The program helps senior citizens purchase nutritional, locally grown food that might not have been available to them otherwise,” Brewster said. “I urge all eligible seniors to participate.”
For a list of participating markets in Westmoreland County, visit the Farmers’ Market Locator.
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