Mayor Jimmy Davis has announced that produce market vouchers are available for low-income senior citizens through the Bayonne Office On Aging. 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 until the autumn, from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at West 23rd Street, between DelMonte Drive and Broadway. The final date of the farmers’ market for 2022 will be announced in the autumn. The Office On Aging will indicate the locations of other approved farmers’ markets to the voucher recipients.
The program is targeted for seniors, 60 and older, whose income level is at or below 185% of the federally defined poverty level.
Interested seniors are asked to apply for the vouchers at City Hall in the Council Chambers on Thursday, July 7, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 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.
Vouchers will be distributed on Thursdays, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., while supplies last, beginning on Thursday, July 14. Each qualified senior will receive six $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.
