Project Grant 20217003435366

**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** GUS SCHUMACHER NUTRITION INCENTIVE COVID RELIEF AND RESPONSE FUNDING WILL ENABLE EXPERIMENTAL STATION'S LINK UP ILLINOIS PROGRAM TO ADDRESS CRITICAL FOOD INSECURITY NEEDS IN COMMUNITIES DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND BUILD UPON THE 2020-2022 GUSNIP PROJECT. AS THE PANDEMIC HAS PROGRESSED, WE HAVE WITNESSED THE INEQUITABLE IMPACT OF RACE ON THE MORTALITY OF THE VIRUS. IN ILLINOIS, IN THE LAST YEAR, BLACK AND BROWN ILLINOISANS WERE CONTRACTING AND DYING FROM COVID-19 AT SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RATES THAN WHITE ILLINOISANS. THE DISPROPORTIONATE RACIAL IMPACT OF COVID-19 IN ILLINOIS IS BEING FELT MOST DRAMATICALLY WITHIN CHICAGO. WITH 273,873 CASES TO DATE, CHICAGO'S HISPANIC POPULATION HAS SUFFERED 33.65% OF CASES AND 33.5% OF DEATHS DESPITE REPRESENTING 10.8% OF THE POPULATION, WHILE THE CITY'S BLACK POPULATION SUFFERED 18.2% OF CASES AND 35.6% OF DEATHS, DESPITE REPRESENTING 29.8% OF THE POPULATION (CHICAGO DEPT. OF PUBLIC HEALTH, APRIL 29, 2021). BLACK AND HISPANIC RESIDENTS ALSO EXHIBIT HIGHER VACCINE HESITANCY THAN WHITE RESIDENTS, INCREASING ONGOING RISK. OVER 3 YEARS, AS COVID-19 CONTINUES TO IMPACT BLACK AND HISPANIC COMMUNITIES, THIS PROJECT AIMS TO ENSURE AFFORDABLE ACCESS TO FRESH PRODUCE FOR SNAP CLIENTS IN THOSE COMMUNITIES, WHILE INCREASING PRODUCE CONSUMPTION LONG TERM AND IMPROVING HEALTH OUTCOMES.WITH NON-FEDERALCOVID RESPONSE FUNDING, IN FALL 2020, LINK UP ILLINOIS PILOTED LINK MATCH AT TWO CORNER STORES LOCATED IN TWO OF CHICAGO'S MOST FOOD INSECURE SOUTH SIDE NEIGHBORHOODS--MORGAN MINI MART (ENGLEWOOD) AND MI MEXICO GROCERY STORE (GAGE PARK). EPICENTERS OF THE CORONAVIRUS IN CHICAGO, THESE BLACK AND HISPANIC COMMUNITIES HAVE LONG SUFFERED FROM THE NEGATIVE HEALTH IMPACTS OF FOOD INSECURITY, EXACERBATED BY THE CORONAVIRUS.WITH2020-2022 GUSNIP FUNDING, IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING FUNDS TO MORE THAN 100 ILLINOIS FARMERS MARKETS, FARM STANDS, MOBILE MARKETS, FOOD COOPERATIVES, AND CSAS, EXPERIMENTAL STATION IS PARTNERING WITH THE MIDWEST INDEPENDENT RETAILERS ASSOCIATION (MIRA) TO PILOT LINK MATCH PROGRAMS AT THREE INDEPENDENT GROCERY STORES ON CHICAGO'S SOUTH AND WEST SIDES. STORES HAVE BEEN SELECTED AT ONCE FOR THEIR LOCATION IN HISPANIC AND BLACK COMMUNITIES OF NEED, THEIR DIFFERING SCALES AND BUSINESS MODELS, AND FOR THE STORE OWNERS' WILLINGNESS NOT ONLY TO IMPLEMENT THE LINK MATCH PROGRAM AND PROVIDE REPORTING, BUT ALSO TO WORK WITH LINK UP ILLINOIS TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF LOCAL PRODUCE SOLD IN THEIR STORES.THIS 3-YEAR GUSCRR PROJECT SEEKS TO SCALE AND EXPAND THE BRICK-AND-MORTAR PILOT PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN IN 2020 AND 2021. THE PROJECT AIMS TO SCALE LINK MATCH AT THE 2 CORNER STORES PILOTED IN 2020 AND 3 GROCERY STORES PILOTED UNDER OUR 2020 GUSNIP AWARD, WHILE CONTINUING TO PARTNER WITH MIRA TO EXPAND LINK MATCH TO 4 ADDITIONAL INDEPENDENT GROCERY STORES IN CHICAGO AND 3 GROCERY STORES SERVING COMMUNITIES OF NEED IN OTHER ILLINOIS CITIES. IN TOTAL, THE GUSCRR PROJECT WILL PROVIDE LINK MATCH INCENTIVE FUNDING TO 12 GROCERY LOCATIONS. LINK UP ILLINOIS WILL WORK WITH MIRA AND STORE OWNERS AND MANAGERS TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM MODEL THAT ACHIEVES SUSTAINABILITY, LEADING TO GREATER DEPENDABILITY FOR SNAP CLIENTS AND GREATER LONG-TERM IMPACT. THE PILOTS CARRIED OUT UNDER THE 2020-2022 GUSNIP AWARD WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY MIRA--ALONG WITH BEST PRACTICES SHARED VIA THE NUTRITION INCENTIVE HUB BY FELLOW INCENTIVE PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY--WILL PROVIDE A STRONG BASE OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE FOR SCALING AND EXPANDING LINK MATCH IN GROCERY STORE SETTINGS.