EBT cards a complex issue for the Manchester Market — but they’re working on it

The Manchester Market has not yet received certification to accept EBT/SNAP payments for groceries, but they haven’t stopped trying. And Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café does currently accept EBT along with other promotional food discount coupons on most of the food items they sell. (Some exclusions apply).

by Marsha Chartrand

Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) is an electronic system that allows a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participant to pay for food using SNAP benefits. When a participant shops at a SNAP authorized retail store, their SNAP EBT account is debited to reimburse the store for food that was purchased.

Currently, Manchester has two stores that accept EBT payment. Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café and Dollar General both accept EBT cards. However, at this time, the Super Perky Pantry (Manchester Market) is unable to accept EBT due to the fact that there is an “umbrella“ of different companies under one roof.

Because Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café has its own checkout system, it has been allowed to accept EBT/SNAP benefits since shortly after reopening its doors last September. But because of what is basically a matter of semantics, according to Super Perky Pantry owner Ken Heers, the process has been much slower for the market.

That does not mean Heers is giving up.

“We absolutely want to be able to offer EBT payment to our customers,“ he said. “It is good for everyone. It would allow us to expand our customer base and it would also allow those new customers to buy the fresh, healthy food that we want to be known for with their SNAP benefits.“

The issue is that products from the bakery, butcher shop, and deli are not inventory on the Super Perky Pantry’s books. SNAP does not allow for “wholesale“ purchases to be made — most specifically, from the meat department — with customers’ EBT payments, unless there is an onsite USDA inspector at all times.

“Our products are all already USDA-certified,“ Heers emphasized. “Like I said, it’s a matter of semantics, because of the ‘wholesale‘ designation due to the different businesses. We wish it were different; but we are all subject to state regulations and we need to follow them. It would be committing fraud if we accepted EBT at this time, and of course we aren‘t willing to risk our business or Justin’s (Dahlenberg, who owns the Grand River Bakery, Butchery, and deli) to make that happen until we can get everything else sorted out. We are in process of getting an onsite inspector, but there are some hurdles to overcome.“

At Acorn, there have been minor issues as well with accepting EBT, and Board Chair Theresa Herron accepts responsibility that there needs to be more training so that all staff is cognizant of how to deal with the benefits. For example, some staff was not aware that Acorn’s café drinks were not eligible to be paid for with EBT cards.

“I have just recently learned that there is free training available from the state,“ she added. “I am arranging that all of our staff can get this training as soon as possible, so we are all on the same page. I want our employees to know what they are doing so that people in Manchester can reliably use their EBT cards in town to get fresh food.“

For senior citizens who do not qualify for EBT/SNAP or other programs, Herron added that 5 Healthy Towns is funding a project to get vouchers for fresh food at farmers’ markets in Chelsea, Stockbridge, Grass Lake, and Manchester this summer. Applications are available at Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café.

The Manchester Community Resource Center (CRC) also has a food pantry to help supplement local grocery budgets, and, says Director Laura Seyfried, “The food pantry program is more generous with income guidelines so not everyone using the pantry also qualifies for the SNAP program.“ She said that it is unfortunate that there have been misunderstandings on all sides, as she has heard many stories and rumors among CRC clients about why the Super Perky Pantry doesn’t accept EBT, as well as having issues when trying to buy items at Acorn … and that clients often feel compelled to shop at the Dollar General, “because the prices are more in line with their spending.“

“We have heard from people that they aren’t able to use their EBT at Acorn and it always seems like it has to do with the staff not knowing how to handle it. The situation is very unfortunate for all parties because it does not have to be hard,“ Seyfried continued. “There are also some instances where the customer wants an item that is not approved for SNAP (the list is fairly short) and doesn’t want to learn why it isn’t covered.“

Some EBT customers end up feeling frustrated and even angry, like a shopper who stopped in on her way home to Tecumseh late one evening. Unfamiliar with the new store, she tried unsuccessfully to purchase herbs at Acorn with her EBT and then, trying to buy food to make dinner for herself and her son at the Super Perky Pantry, did not realize until she tried several times to use her card that there was a small sign saying “We do not accept EBT at this time” by the card scanner. “I felt discriminated against, not for my skin color, but for the plastic I was trying to swipe,“ she said in a letter to the Mirror. “How unfortunate to shop with content because you know you have funds. Then you reach the checkout, only to have to put it all back because you didn’t know … that they don’t take your kind of plastic. That’s embarrassing for the customer, but I’m honestly embarrassed for this store and sad for those low-income families within their community.“

Heers noted that he had asked the state, since it was primarily meat, bakery, and deli items that were ineligible for EBT, if they could simply have EBT customers sort their groceries and pay for the Super Perky Pantry items with EBT and the “wholesale“ items with cash or other payment. “They told me that would be discrimination, because our cashiers would have to ask them if they were EBT recipients,” he said. “And we can’t ’discriminate’ against customers by asking how they are paying.“ He found that an unsatisfactory answer, but, once again, he’s up against a wall of bureaucracy.

“This issue … is bigger than myself,” wrote the unhappy customer. “This is an injustice that needs correction of some sort, even if that means making a bigger sign for out front for all to see. I hope, however, the change is a fix in their systems.“

It is still a difficult and frustrating situation for everyone at this point, but Heers is determined to make it work — just like he has made so many other seemingly impossible things work out since taking on this project. The Manchester Market will, eventually, be able to accept EBT payments from customers. The question is when.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.