urban_light/Depositphotos
Budget keeps produce discount alive
Rhode Island’s fiscal year 2027 budget keeps Eat Well, Be Well running another year, preserving produce discounts for more than 140,000 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, users.
The program faced a June 30 end date before lawmakers included $4.1 million in the budget, which took effect July 1 for residents using SNAP benefits at checkout.
jetcityimage2/Depositphotos
How the discount works
Eat Well, Be Well gives SNAP participants 50 cents back for every $1 spent on fresh fruits and vegetables at participating grocery stores each month through the program.
Rewards load automatically onto each shopper’s Electronic Benefit Transfer card after checkout, with earnings capped at $25 for every household using the incentive each month at participating stores.
Buurserstraat38/Depositphotos
A pilot that began in 2024
Rhode Island launched Eat Well, Be Well in January 2024 after the Rhode Island Department of Human Services, retailers, and public health partners shaped logistics and checkout systems…