Snap Stretch program now available at Unlimited Future Inc. market in Huntington

What began as a small pilot program in 2018 is now used in more than 30 farmers markets across the state. More than 79,000 families have benefitted from the program to date.

Last year, the program was halted due to a lack of funds, but in April, Gov. Patrick Morrisey approved the Fiscal Year 2026 state budget, which included $360,000 in funding for the program.

“This program previously had been funded through private philanthropy and federal funds,� said Cordel Bostic, WVFFC spokesperson. “West Virginia has taken a massive step in the nutrition space by funding this program now.�

The funds have made it possible for the program to expand this year, Bostic said, adding about six markets this season.

“With West Virginia investing these $360,000 in funds into Snap Stretch, we’ll be able to hopefully secure more federal funds using that as match to bring into the state of West Virginia, bringing more funding to markets, grocers and farmers as well,� Bostic said.

The state’s allocation of funds gives potential for more than $1 million in matching federal funds through the USDA’s Gus Schumaker Nutrition and Incentive Program, according to the coalition.

UFI — a not-for-profit, micro-enterprise development center and business incubator that supplies people with resources to improve their economic status, according to its website — is one of the markets that can now offer Snap Stretch benefits.

These benefits allow participants to purchase fresh produce at a discounted price, stretching their dollars further.

'Food is medicine'

The market inside UFI, 1650 Eighth Ave. in Huntington, opened in 2022 and was a result of community need for the area to have access to healthy local food.

UFI representatives conducted community surveys, and the organization found there are few fresh food or grocery store options in the area, where UFI Executive Director Ursulette Ward said many residents walk, bike or take public transportation to get around.

“People in our neighborhood did not have access to local produce," Ward said. "It’s the only place in the area that is walkable that people have access to healthy food options. Food is medicine, so if that’s your mindset, food is medicine. [If] you don’t have access to food that’s healthier, you’re not getting the medicine that the body needs to fuel itself.�

A majority of the produce is from small local farmers, Ward said. UFI is not only supporting the farmers, but also teaching them how to scale their businesses to a larger market, she said.

Ward said UFI’s market will not only give residents access to healthy food, but it will also save them money.

“It will help them financially be able to really stretch their dollar, be able to make their budget more robust than what it is right now, and to give them access to food that they may not have access to otherwise without having a vehicle,� she said.

Delegate Evan Worrell, R-Cabell, who advocated for the funding, said the program allows families to have a two-for-one match and grandfamilies to have a three-for-one match.

“It’s one thing to actually want to buy the healthier food and healthier options, but it’s another to be able to afford the healthier options," Ward said. "

So Snap Stretch is going to allow a lot of families to do that."

The program is beneficial for residents and local farmers, he said.

“You might not think of Huntington being a food desert, but it is for people who don’t have transportation,� Worrell said. “It is for people who can’t get to a grocery store or people who need to have this comfortability of the market that we have here at UFI.�

Since its inception, the program has returned over $3 million to West Virginia’s local agricultural economy.