Meijer said Tuesday that, to increase access to healthy products, it is offering SNAP participants special discounts on select milk products.
The initiative, called "Add Milk," features 20 percent off any brand or size of one percent and fat free milk and is thanks to a grant awarded recently by Auburn University's Hunger Solutions Institute that Meijer applied for earlier this year. Meijer is the largest retailer selected to partner on Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives projects, which were established by the 2018 Farm Bill to promote milk as part of a healthy diet.
"As a company committed to enriching lives in the communities we serve, we're pleased to partner with Auburn University to give families easier access to milk," said Meijer VP of grocery Calli Schmid, in a statement. "Milk is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals and our involvement in this program offers another opportunity to stretch our customers' dollars further."
The milk discounts apply to purchases made online and in-store at all Meijer supercenters, neighborhood markets, and Express locations, and will remain in effect until March 30, 2024.
In addition to the new 20 percent off milk discounts for SNAP participants, Meijer is continuing to offer a 10 percent discount on SNAP purchases of qualifying produce thanks to a waiver granted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture last year, and free home delivery for SNAP customers.
"Michigan has always led the way in making sure people have access to fresh fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, produced right here in our own state," said U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, in a statement. "Now thanks to our successes in the 2018 Farm Bill and the leadership of Meijer, today's announcement will mean millions of American children, seniors, and families who shop at nearly 500 Meijer stores across the Midwest can afford fresh and nourishing milk products to keep their families healthy."
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