By Bethany Romano
This summer, Boston residents and workers welcomed the opening of an innovative new indoor farmers market. The Boston Public Market, located downtown by Haymarket, exhibits a unique dedication to locally sourced foods and facilitates healthy food access to low-income customers.
Jeanne Mansfield, a dual-degree student in the MPP program and MBA in nonprofit management program, joined the Boston Public Market (BPM) team for their inaugural summer as an intern. While there, she helped BPM coordinate with state and city officials to provide SNAP access—commonly called food stamps—at every vendor stall. She also helped BPM join Boston’s SNAP matching program Bounty Bucks, which allows SNAP customers to double the value of SNAP funds when purchasing fresh foods and produce at local farmers markets.
Jeanne spoke with Heller Communications on-site at the BPM to explain its focus on equitable food access and her role with the fledgling organization.