The BronxWorks Nutrition Incentive Program (BNIP) (2024)

Non Technical Summary
The BronxWorks Nutrition Incentive Program for SNAP HouseholdsOverviewThe purpose of the BronxWorks Nutrition Incentive Program for SNAP Households (BNIP) is to increase fresh fruit and vegetable consumption amongst Bronx households that receive SNAP benefits. While the program will target individuals and families who receive SNAP benefits who live in Bronx Community Districts (CDs) 1 and 4, it will be open to SNAP receiving households throughout the borough.BNIP will provide Bronx Bucks nutrition coupons to SNAP receiving individuals and families who purchase produce from the two BronxWorks-operated farm stands, with one in Bronx CD 1 near the BronxWorks employment programs center at 550 East 142nd Street and the other inside of or on the grounds of our Carolyn McLaughlin Community Center (CMCC) at 1130 Grand Concourse north of Yankee Stadium. The farm stands run from July to November and will serve as point of sale (POS) locations from which the Bronx Bucks coupons may be redeemed.During the winter, BronxWorks will provide a Fresh Food Box at 1130 Grand Concourse. CMCC will serve as the POS location from January to June. The farm stands and fresh food box would allow BronxWorks to provide the community with year around regional and local produce.Where possible, BNIP will engage SNAP receiving individuals and families who are enrolled in existing BronxWorks programs. This will include families with children enrolled in our early learning, maternal or infant health reduction initiative, or after-school or summer camp programs. It will also include individuals who head one-person households in supportive housing.Bronx Bucks coupons will comply with SNAP rules and regulations by only allowing for the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables. As a condition of receiving the coupon, participants must first make a purchase of $1 using their SNAP benefits. Once the purchase is made, the customer will receive a $10 Bronx Buck incentive coupon.Customers will be referred to additional nutrition education sessions to help support their continued consumption of fruits and vegetables and to provide education on preparation and storage. Referrals for the BNIP can come from nutrition education classes and various BronxWorks programs.Goals and OutcomesThe goals and outcomes for the Bronx Nutrition Incentive Program:Goal 1: Distribute a total of 208Bronx Bucks Incentive Coupons weekly at 20 BronxWorks Farm Stands (Thursdays) and Mott Haven Farm Stands (Wednesdays) from July through November and at 20 Winter Fresh Food Boxes from January through June for a total of 5,100$10 Bronx Bucks Incentive Coupons distributed to BronxWorks participants enrolled in SNAP.Outcome: 960participants will receive coupons each program week for a total of 40 weeks.Goal 2: Bronx Bucks Incentive Program participants who receive SNAP benefits will increase their purchasing power of fresh produce by redeeming incentives at point-of-sale.Outcome: 100% of SNAP customers enrolled in the Bronx Buck Incentive Program will increase purchases of fresh produce.Goal 3: BronxWorks will host year round local Fresh Food box and Farm Stands to distribute Bronx Bucks incentives to participants.Outcome: Increases access to purchases of fruits and vegetables throughout the year.Program StaffingThe full-time staff will be a Program Director, Program Coordinator, and Program Specialist. A member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) and youth interns will also work to provide program services. A Department Director (in-kind) will be responsible for overall supervision.The Program Director will directly supervise the Program Coordinator and oversee the distribution days at the Farm Stands and Fresh Food Box activities. She will monitor program outcomes, work with the BronxWorks fiscal department to monitor spending, and submit reports both to the funder and internally. The Program Director will work with the Program Coordinator to develop program guidelines, including Bronx Health Bucks distribution and reconciliation guidelines, and an outreach plan. She will also ensure that all staff receive trainings congruent to program activities.The Program Coordinator will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the program. She will work with the Program Specialist and volunteers to perform outreach, conduct Farm Stand and Food Box activities, and distribute and reconcile Bronx Buck coupons. The Program Coordinator will monitor program outcomes and report on program activities to the Program Director monthly. She will work with the Program Director to manage any challenges or program modifications to meet consumer needs.A Program Specialist will work with the Program Coordinator to implement program activities. The Program Specialist will distribute and log Bronx Buck coupons, conduct outreach, provide nutritional education, assist at the Farm Stand and at the Fresh Food Box to distribute food items purchased, and will help clients to connect to additional services if needed.A Jesuit Volunteer Corps member assigned to this program will work with the Program Coordinator and Program Specialist to implement program activities. Youth interns work at the BronxWorks Farm Stands and Fresh Box and will assist with the nutrition education component.Incentive RedemptionCustomers will receive their $10 coupon at the BronxWorks Farm Stand, Mott Haven Farm Stand, and Winter Fresh Food Box. Participants will make an initial $1 purchase of fruits and vegetables using their SNAP benefits and then receive the Bronx Bucks $10 incentive coupon.

Goals / Objectives
Goal 1: Distribute a total of 208Bronx Bucks Incentive Coupons weekly at 20 BronxWorks Farm Stands (Thursdays) and Mott Haven Farm Stands (Wednesdays) July through November.Goal 2: Distribute a total of 47 Bronx Bucks Incentive Coupons at 20 Winter Fresh Food Boxes, January through June.Goal 3: Bronx Bucks Incentive Program participants who receive SNAP benefits will increase their purchasing power of fresh produce by redeeming incentives at point-of-sale.Goal 4: BronxWorks will host year-round local Fresh Food box and Farm Stands to distribute Bronx Bucks incentives to participants.Goal 5: Increase fruit and vegetable consumption.

Project Methods
BronxWorks has a proven capacity to monitor, track, and evaluate relevant data, including enrollment, distribution, redemption, participation, and produce consumption. The BronxWorks Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Committee, under the guidance of the Director of Quality and Compliance, works to track and analyze quantitative and qualitative data, support feedback loops for continual improvement, and ensure high quality service delivery. Also tracked is the programs responsiveness to the needs of participants and ongoing planning and monitoring to ensure that identified goals and outcomes are reached.BronxWorks utilizes various data sources to collect and analyze progress towards program goals. Salesforce database is the organization's platform for participant tracking across programs and is highly customizable to meet any data-tracking needs. In addition, Salesforce can create custom managerial reports, performance dashboards and data visualizations to assist in programmatic management. The software also allows for client-facing forms with electronic signature, which can be utilized to collect intake forms and program surveys.To support progress, CQI staff reviews the data that is entered into Salesforce on a regular basis and follows up with program staff if needed. In addition, the CQI team conducts monthly audits to ensure the integrity of the data entered in Salesforce and into any other funder-mandated platforms. The CQI team is also engaged in risk management, assists with client grievances, and measures and analyzing client satisfaction to gauge agency-wide efficacy and program-specific impact. These mechanisms enable BronxWorks to play an active role in motivating staff to manage programs with a results-driven mindset.The Program Director will ensure all relevant data is accurately collected, monitored, tracked, and stored. This data includes enrollment, distribution, redemption, participation, and produce consumption. The Program Director will oversee the overall program evaluation with the Department Director's support and supervision. This will include the Department Director reviewing monthly program reports generated by the Program Director.