Bayonne Seniors May Apply For Produce Vouchers

If you are a low income, Bayonne senior citizen, you can apply for produce vouchers on Monday, July 27th.  Details are outlined in the following press release:

Low-Income Bayonne Seniors Invited to Apply for Produce Vouchers on Monday, July 27, in Fitzpatrick Park

Mayor Jimmy Davis announced that low-income Bayonne seniors are invited to apply for 2020 produce vouchers.  There will be a new application procedure this year, due to the Coronavirus.  The Bayonne Office On Aging will administer an application process and issue the vouchers on the same day, Monday, July 27, in Fitzpatrick Park, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  If needed, the rain date is Wednesday, July 29, with the same hours and location. Fitzpatrick Park is located one block south of City Hall on Avenue C, between 26^th and 27^th Streets.

Fitzpatrick Park is an outside location, so applicants will need to form a line while standing or in mobility devices.  Indoor furniture will not be available for sitting.   Face masks will be required and social distancing will be enforced, due to the Coronavirus.     

Applicants must have valid identification for Bayonne residency and proof of age and income.  They must prove their qualifying income status in one of two ways: 1) Those on Medicaid can show a Medicaid card.  2) Those not on Medicaid must provide physical proof of income with appropriate documentation.  The program is targeted for seniors, 60 and older, whose income level is at or below 185% of the federally defined poverty level.

The vouchers would enable qualified seniors to purchase New Jersey-grown fresh fruit and vegetables at the Bayonne farmers’ market and other approved locations.  Participating farmers at the Bayonne farmers’ market sell New Jersey produce that is eligible for the voucher program.  The Bayonne farmers’ market takes place on Tuesdays from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. until the autumn at Del Monte Drive and 22^nd Street.  The Office On Aging will indicate the locations of other approved farmers’ markets to the voucher recipients.

Each qualified senior will receive five $5.00 vouchers to be used only with the famers signed up with the program.  The vouchers may be used only with these qualifying farmers for the purchase of fresh, locally-grown New Jersey fruits and vegetables. Some consumer items, such as nuts, buttered corn, bakery products and pre-cooked, frozen dinners, are not eligible for the voucher program, even if they are sold at farmers’ markets.   The voucher program is a joint venture with the New Jersey 5-A-Day Program, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, and the Hudson County Office On Aging.