Logos for SNAP, HIP and FMNP

Food assistance: Stretch your food budget!

Get more fresh, healthy food

Here’s an overview of our food assistance program. Details below.

  • We double your SNAP benefits every week, up to an extra $25. Buy any food items that are part of SNAP.

  • We double WIC & Senior FMNP coupons, which come out in July.

  • The Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) gives SNAP recipients instant refunds on produce. Shop at from Dick’s Market Garden, Hutchins Farm, Nicewicz Family Farm and Lexavah Farm.

  • Our new HIP+ program gives people an extra $20 per month for produce.

Read details below, and download our brochures.

Steve Savarese, Senné realtor, is our lead sponsor for emergency food assistance.
Cambridge Savings Bank awarded us a grant to support food assistance.

Here’s how we fight food insecurity

HIP+ is new! All SNAP recipients have the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) — instant rebates when buying produce. The benefit was $40-80 per month (depending on household size), but due to budget cuts, it’s now $40 for everyone..

The full amount may be restored, but until then, we’re giving our shoppers an extra $20 per month — that’s HIP+. This is in addition to our $25 weekly SNAP match.

You don’t have to have SNAP to get HIP+. Sign up at the Manager’s Tent, and you get $20 each month. First, buy produce with HIP+. Then use your HIP balance to buy more produce, and save your SNAP funds for other products.

Question? Ask at the Manager’s Tent. HIP+ lasts as long as the funds last.

Steve Savarese, Senné Realtor, is the lead sponsor for our HIP+ program.

Blue token with "new!" on it

SNAP: Double your benefits

We double your SNAP benefits up to $25 per week, so you can buy more healthy local food.

Come to the Manager’s Tent for double your SNAP dollars in tokens. Use the tokens on any SNAP-approved items at Belmont Farmers’ Market. They do not expire.

Our SNAP match was over $24,000 in 2024.

HIP: Instant rebate on produce

The Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) gives an instant refund when you buy produce with SNAP from HIP farms.

If you have SNAP, you already have HIP!

The benefit was cut to $20 for everyone in December. It’ll go up to $40 for everyone on July 1, and hopefully back to $40-80 (depending on household size) later in the season.

HIP is funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Our HIP farmers provided over $28,000 in HIP benefits in 2024.

FMNP: Double value for coupons

We match Farmers Market Nutrition Program coupons (FMNP) for WIC families and eligible seniors. Take them to a participating vendor, and spend double the amount of the coupons on eligible products. Details, including eligibility (at mass.gov).

Our FMNP vendors are Dick’s Market Garden, The Good Food Farm, Hutchins Farm, and Nicewicz Family Farm.

Our FMNP match was $4285 in 2024.

Support our food assistance programs!
Please make a personal donation, or
a sponsorship from your business.

How to get benefits

Applying for SNAP

SNAP (formerly Food Stamps) is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It is a federal program run by the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance.

See the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ website with information on eligibility and applying for SNAP and the USDA details about what you can and cannot buy with SNAP benefits.

Applying for HIP

If you have SNAP, you automatically have HIP. To get our HIP+ benefits, come to the Manager’s Tent.

Getting FMNP coupons

In our area, Springwell gives out Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) coupons for eligible seniors. You can also contact the Belmont Council on Aging for information.

WIC families are eligible for WIC FMNP coupons. Contact your local WIC office for details. There are offices in Arlington, Watertown, and Cambridge.

Contact Project Bread for advice

Call the Project Bread FoodSource Hotline to find out more. Calls are free and confidential. 800-645-8333.

More information

Our opening day Food Assistance Information Fair has information about benefits, and informs the community that food insecurity is everywhere, including Belmont.

You also get extra benefits from the state: help with childcare and transportation, discounted admission to museums, and reduced fares on the MBTA.

Brochures and videos

Note that these brochures have the old HIP benefits — it’s currently $20/month for everyone, but we hope that it’ll increase again during the summer market season.