2007 Golden Grocer Award Winners

The Food Stamp Golden Grocer Awards recognize the outstanding achievements and creative ideas used by retailers participating in USDA’s Food Stamp Program (FSP). We know the important role stores play in the FSP. Through these awards, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) aims to highlight successful activities that other retailers can replicate to improve service to food stamp recipients, to encourage participation in the Program and promote healthy eating habits across the country.

The Golden Grocer Award is an initiative of the Food Stamp Outreach Coalition that honors retailers participating in the FSP that excel in outreach and provide exemplary service to food stamp recipients. The Coalition and its Business Interest Committee members are comprised of Federal, State and non-profit members.

FNS is pleased to recognize the following 2007 Food Stamp Golden Grocer winners:

HEB, 6818 S. Zarzamora, San Antonio, TX
(Large Grocer Category)
HEB has a long standing commitment to addressing hunger, to providing nutrition education to customers and to promoting the FSP. HEB developed a partnership with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to select HEB stores as outreach posts for the FSP. HEB also works with local food banks to allow outreach workers to provide enrollment information for the FSP. HEB is the first retailer in Texas to partner with the State of Texas to provide this level of outreach.

Gabriel’s Supermarket, 255 Mohawk Avenue, Scotia, NY
(Independent Grocer Category)
Gabriel’s Supermarket promotes healthy eating by selling a full range of nutritious foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain and low-fat products, and locally grown produce in season. Material about the FSP is prominently displayed on the store’s community bulletin board that includes local food stamp offices. Gabriel’s Supermarket is a midsize independent grocer affiliated with IGA (Independent Grocers Alliance).

City Seed, Inc, New Haven, CT
(Farmers’ Market Category)
City Seed has partnered with other farmers’ markets to expand the availability of EBT access for food stamp customers. Many markets do not have access to electricity and phone lines which are necessary to support regular EBT point-of-sale transactions. In 2005, City Seed became the first farmers’ market in Connecticut to accept food stamp benefits via an EBT card. In 2006, City Seed expanded the use of EBT to other markets. Now farmers’ markets interested in accepting EBT rely on the expertise and enthusiasm of City Seed when deciding to participate in the Food Stamp Program. A core component of City Seed’s mission is to provide access to healthy, nutritious farm fresh foods, especially to those who are receiving food stamp benefits and who may be at risk of food insecurity.

Last modified: 02/01/2008