Thrive Market Accepts SNAP: Delivering Healthy Groceries
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that from Monday 26th February, low-income families claiming Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will be able to spend their funds online to purchase groceries from Thrive Market.
SNAP funding, also known as food stamps, are uploaded to electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards to spend in participating stores throughout the country. However, Thrive Market is making it more convenient for SNAP beneficiaries to buy healthy and organic products by delivering them directly to their homes.
Representatives from Thrive Market believe that this move will give some of America's most vulnerable people access to healthy and nutritious foods irrespective of their geography or internet access. Forty-five out of 50 states in the US have internet access rates of over 85%.
Thrive Market's co-founder, Sasha Siddhartha, says the recent USDA decision is a ground-breaking move in making nutritious groceries more accessible and affordable, particularly those who live at or below the poverty line.
Thrive Market's acceptance of SNAP EBT is receiving praise for increasing access to healthy options through the convenience of online shopping. The implementation of the pilot program in New York in 2017 was followed by its expansion to all 50 US states in 2020.
With nearly 4 million households using SNAP benefits to purchase groceries online in April 2023, the move has been welcomed by families struggling to put food on the table, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of Thrive Market's commitment to making healthy living affordable to everyone, they are excited to accept SNAP benefits and plan to redefine the way Americans can access healthy options by offering convenient deliveries straight to their doorsteps.