‘DA BUX Double Up Food Bucks’ Program Expands

The Food Basket’s healthy food incentive program, DA BUX Double Up Food Bucks, is expanding to all KTA Super Stores and KTA Express starting Wednesday, April 3, 2019. Primarily funded by the USDA Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive grant, DA BUX doubles low-income SNAP cardholders’ purchasing power for fruits and vegetables while supporting Hawai`i Island farmers (SNAP stands for the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps).

DA BUX Double Up Food Bucks. Courtesy photo.

“Since partnering with The Food Basket and piloting the DA BUX Double Up Food Bucks program at our two Hilo stores in 2017, we are excited to offer this unique and important program at all of our seven locations island-wide,” said Toby Taniguchi, president KTA Super Stores.

Here’s how DA BUX works at KTA: DA BUX participants receive 50% off qualifying DA BUX fruits and
vegetables, up to a $20 discount per transaction per day. SNAP cardholders can sign up for DA BUX from April 3 through 5, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at KTA locations in North and West Hawai‘i. They can also sign up at The Food Basket’s Hilo warehouse. Upon sign up, a DA BUX discount sticker will be placed directly onto SNAP cards. Participants hand their SNAP card with the attached discount sticker to the cashier at checkout in order to receive 50% off qualifying items in their shopping cart.

The wins are threefold: Low-income families eat healthier food, local farmers gain new customers and make more money, and more food dollars stay in the local economy. Each has a ripple effect of benefits.

“DA BUX creates the kind of win/win solutions we need: more nutritious food for low-income families
and more revenue for our local farmers resulting in healthy people and a strong and resilient Big Island,” said Kristin Frost Albrecht, executive director of The Food Basket, Hawai‘i Island’s Food Bank.

For more information on DA BUX go online or call (808) 933-6030.