Expanding Food Access How to Use SNAP benefits at Green City Market

New to Link or our GCM For All program? We've got you! We've written a how-to below; but come chat with us at the market for any additional help. Look for our information booth (a 10x10 pop-up tent with a green canopy and white Green City Market logo) where our team will be happy to help you make the most of your Link benefits at our indoor and outdoor farmers’ markets.

At Green City Market, we're dedicated to expanding access to nutritious, local, sustainably-produced food — that's why we welcome and triple match Link (also known as SNAP or EBT) up to $25 per market day.

The GCM Info booth functions like a Link ATM. Customers can swipe their Link/SNAP card at our secure terminal and take any amount off their card.

We triple the value of their benefits up to $25. If a customer swipes $1 off their card, they’ll receive $3 in vouchers - $10 turns into $30, $15 into $45, $25 into $75. After $25, the match is reduced to double the benefits. For example, if a customer swiped $30 off their card, they’d receive $75 for the first $25 spent and $10 for the remaining $5 spent, for a total of $85. The math can be tricky - if you don’t know how much you want to spend, generally folks start with a $25 or less swipe to maximize their benefits. You can always return to the Info Tent to swipe your card again!

Each transaction, the customer will receive two types of vouchers - GCM For All Link vouchers and Link Up Illinois Link Match Vouchers. When customers with Link spend $25 of benefits at Green City Market, they receive $75 in vouchers or tokens to spend at the market like cash.

Of this $75, the customer will receive $50 in GCM For All vouchers or tokens (left below) that may be used on any SNAP eligible item. Customers will receive the remaining $25 in Link Up Illinois vouchers (right below) that are restricted to fruits and vegetables only, and can be spent at other markets across the city. Neither vouchers expire.

After tripling the first $25 in Link, GCM will continue to match benefits dollar-for-dollar. This means that for every dollar spent beyond the initial $25, customers will receive $1 in GCM For All vouchers or tokens (left) and $1 in Link Up Illinois vouchers (right).

Learn more about what you can buy with GCM for All Link tokens and Link Up Illinois vouchers, how to use Link at our markets, and how to use WIC or Senior Farmers' Market Checks with GCM's vendors.

WHAT CAN I BUY WITH LINK?

GCM FOR ALL VOUCHERS

All grocery items (fruit, veg, bread, grains, proteins, condiments, etc)
Excludes hot/prepared food & cut flowers
Comes in $1, $5, and $10 denominations
Can be spent at Green City Market locations only

To keep up with the growth in demand for this program, GCM has switched to paper vouchers. Tokens that had previously been distributed may still be used and are still available upon request at the info booth.

LINK MATCH VOUCHERS

Fruits and vegetables only
Comes in $1 denominations only
Can be spent at other farmers' markets in Chicago

Using your Link card and GCM for All tokens, you may purchase any food items permitted by the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

These include fruits, vegetables, breads, dairy, meats, eggs, grains, jams, sauces, honey, and edible plants. These do not include prepared food items intended to be eaten at the market, such as coffee, hot sandwiches, smoothies, etc.

With your Link Up Illinois vouchers, you may purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.

If you’re ever unsure of what’s permitted, head over to the GCM Info Booth to speak with a team member or email us at foodaccess@greencitymarket.org or 773-217-0776.

SNAP-Eligible Food Items

HOW DO I USE MY LINK CARD AT THE MARKET?

Stop by the Info Booth at GCM Lincoln Park, GCM West Loop, or GCM Avondale. Let a team member know that you would like to use your Link card and how much you would like to charge.

Green City Market triples your Link spending up to $25, and doubles any spending past that.

Spend vouchers/tokens with vendors like cash! If you need any change, return to the GCM Info Booth.

Plan Your Visit

DO YOU ACCEPT WIC OR SENIOR FARMERS' MARKET CHECKS?

Some of Green City Market’s vendors can accept WIC or Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) checks. See here for a list of vendors that accept WIC or Senior FMNP checks. Please note, Green City Market itself cannot accept or exchange WIC/Senior FMNP checks for other currency types.

FMNP checks are distributed in mid-to-late summer, usually in July. As of 2023, the Greater Chicago Food Depository is distributing Senior FMNP checks. Information and distribution sites can be found on their website. Checks expire on October 31 each year and cannot be redeemed after that date.

For more information on WIC & Senior FMNP from the Illinois Department of Human Services, click here.