'Double Up Oklahoma' Program Now Available In Sand Springs

Hunger Free Oklahoma is making it easier for residents on SNAP benefits in Sand Springs to buy and eat healthy food. The goal is to make sure nobody has to choose between having enough food to eat and eating healthy.

When customers at Cash Savers in Sand Springs purchase food with their SNAP card, that money will be matched, dollar for dollar, to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables through the "Double Up Oklahoma" program.

Those SNAP purchases will be matched up to $20. Hunger Free Oklahoma's CEO Chris Bernard said that this will increase buying power for food insecure Oklahomans and also encourage residents to eat healthy foods.

"We are 49th in the country in fruit and vegetable consumption which leads to all sorts of health problems. So we really do this as a way to one: increase food security and two: increase healthy outcomes for Oklahomans and also to stimulate local economies," Bernard said.

Not only that, but this program also encourages businesses to carry more fresh produce and give Oklahomans easier access to healthier food.

"It’s not that folks don’t want to eat healthy. It’s a challenge of cost, and it’s a challenge of do you have the time and it really helps remove some of those barriers," Bernard said.

SNAP customers can participate in the program at both Cash Savers stores in Sand Springs.