SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital-Janesville is committed to ensuring Rock County community members have access to affordable, high-quality healthy foods. 
Each year, SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital-Janesville is proud to partner with the Janesville Farmers’ Market. Hospital staff members enjoy providing healthy snacks, recipes and education at the market on Saturdays throughout the summer. 
In an effort to address food insecurity and also to improve health equity in Rock County, SSM Health teamed up with the Janesville Farmers’ Market and also the Downtown Beloit Association Farmers’ Market to start a new and exciting offering in 2021. 
Stateline Area community members who utilize Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at the Janesville Farmers’ Market were able to receive bonus “produce tokens” throughout the summer. In Beloit, a pilot program was started where SNAP users were gifted $10 in additional market tokens each month thanks to SSM Health. 
In both Janesville and Beloit, the SNAP market tokens are used to purchase fresh produce and items like honey, cheese or bread to nourish their families and support the local farming community. 
Through the funding, there was opportunity for more than 500 families to be helped through the initiative. We hope this program helps families have more access to healthy, quality foods they need and that it encourages them to try a new item that is on their wish list. 
SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital-Janesville continues to support efforts which address Social Determinants of Health (SDoH), such as food insecurity, to help improve health equity in our communities.