After a delivery delay forced Georgetown County to postpone distribution of farmers’ market vouchers for senior citizens earlier this month, the state has announced it will reopen the application period for the program. Seniors now have until July 2 to apply for the program.
The S.C. Department of Social Services notified Georgetown County that the new delivery date for the vouchers will be late next month. While the county’s Bureau of Aging Services and Parks and Recreation Department work to determine a new distribution date, staff is encouraging seniors who were not previously signed up for the program to take advantage of the extension. More than 22,000 people across the state signed in the first round of applications to receive vouchers. Those who applied earlier in the year do not need to reapply.
The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program is a seasonal USDA grant program that provides participants with access to fresh, nutritious, unprocessed fruits and vegetables from local farmers’ markets and is designed to increase awareness and use of community markets. The program is open to individuals age 60 and older who meet income limits. Anyone who would like to apply for the program may do so online at https://benefitsportal.dss.sc.gov/#/benefits/sfmnp/application.
Georgetown County will announce the new voucher distribution date next month.